title: Detection of chlorine and bromine in free liquid from the sphenoid sinus as an indicator of seawater drowning.
abstract: We have investigated the usefulness of elemental analysis by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) in the examination of free liquid from the sphenoid sinus of drowning victims. We detected both chlorine and bromine in liquid taken from the sphenoid sinus of seawater drowning victims. Because these elements were below the quantification limit in freshwater cases, we could easily distinguish seawater from freshwater drowning cases. Detection of these elements from the liquid in the sphenoid sinuses of drowning victims may be useful as a supportive measure for seawater drowning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1 Miki, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan. Electronic address: ntanaka@med.kagawa-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1 Miki, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1 Miki, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan.
authors.forename: Mostofa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jamal
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1 Miki, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan.
authors.forename: Ayaka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takakura
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1 Miki, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kumihashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1 Miki, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Miyatake
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Science, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1 Miki, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan.
authors.forename: Kunihiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsutsui
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1 Miki, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan.
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ameno
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000737:chemistry; D001966:Bromine / Q000032:analysis; D002713:Chlorine / Q000032:analysis*; D004332:Drowning / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012623:Seawater; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D013101:Sphenoid Sinus / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D002713:Chlorine; D001966:Bromine
keywords: Bromine; Chlorine; Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX); Liquid in sphenoid sinus; Seawater drowning