Data in Brief 10 (2017) 63–68

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Data in Brief

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/dib

Data Article

A systematic databasing of diatoms from

different geographical localities and sites
of Haryana for advancing validation
of forensic diatomology
Ekta Saini a, V.P. Khanagwal b, Rajvinder Singh a,n
a
Department of Genetics, M.D. University, Rohtak 124001, Haryana, India
b
Department of Forensic Medicine, Pt. B.D.S. University of Health Sciences, Rohtak 124001, Haryana, India

a r t i c l e i n f o abstract

Article history: Verdict on tracing exact place of drowning is a part of medico-legal

Received 29 September 2016 investigation. This question often stands when circumstances remain
Received in revised form unclear about true drowning place. Usually, when a dead body rises
21 October 2016
from the bottom of drowning site, it will appear near to the point
Accepted 17 November 2016
Available online 24 November 2016
where it had actually disappeared but rapid current may carry a body
to real distance from the exact place of death before any major
Keywords: obstruction. Forensic methodology has suggested qualitative as well as
Drowning quantitative comparison of diatoms recovered in dead body and
Diatoms
reference water samples to corroborate drowning as cause of death
Water body
and locating precise place of drowning. Collection of wrong reference
Microscopy
water samples from drowning site can also hamper the investigation
process. Since, the distributions of different genera in certain extents
relate particular water where the death due to drowning might have
taken place; therefore, the present attempt was made to understand
diatom distribution in five water bodies of Haryana with reference to
diatom growth factors. This research data represents diatomological
profiles of selected sites for possible application of forensic diatomol-
ogy. Both, the light and scanning electron microscopy identified dia-
toms. It is envisioned that this data report is informative enough for
the experts to plan future strategy for investigating mysteries asso-
ciating place of drowning.
& 2016 Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under
the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

n
Corresponding author.
E-mail address: rvsforensic@gmail.com (R. Singh).

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2016.11.072
2352-3409/& 2016 Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
64 E. Saini et al. / Data in Brief 10 (2017) 63–68

Specifications Table

Subject area Forensic Science

More specific Forensic Diatomology
subject area
Type of data Figure and Tables
How data was Identification of diatoms was made with light and scanning electron micro-
acquired copy (Leo 435 VP)
Data format Analyzed
Experimental Water samples collected in different seasons were treated with acid digestion
factors method, and later centrifuged to extract diatoms
Experimental The distribution patters of diatoms in selected water bodies were evaluated
features with context to seasonal and geographical changes
Data source Haryana (29.0588°N, 76.0856°E) a northern state of India
location
Data accessibility Data is available with this article

Value of the data

Little is known about the diatomological mapping of fresh water bodies of Haryana.

Diatomological information produced here provides a baseline data which can aid future efforts in
investigation of the diatom diversity present in Haryana.

Data provide details of the strategy for the forensic and medicolegal experts to trace the infor-
mative pathway dealing with questioned drowning place.

These data are also useful for researchers working in the field of archaeology, botany and envir-
onment sciences for water quality assessment and environmental change.

1. Data

Data provided in this article revealed diversity of diatom depending upon properties of habitat
water and prevailing climatic conditions of water bodies from varied localities of Haryana (Supple-
mentary Fig. 1).

2. Experimental design, materials and methods

Water samples were collected from Morni Hills Tikkar Taal Lake, Panchkula; Tilyar Lake,
Rohtak; Jawaharlal Nehru Canal, Rohtak; Kharawad Village Well, Rohtak; and Suraj Kund, Far-
idabad. The first sampling was conducted during winter season in the month of December 2013.
The schedule was continued following spring (March), summer (June) and autumn (September)
seasons in 2014. Changes in the physical characteristics of these water bodies have been
depicted in Table 1. Temperature and pH of water were also recorded at the time of sampling
(Tables 2 and 3).
Earlier mentioned protocols [1,2] were followed right from the extraction up to qualitative and
quantitative analysis of diatoms. Diatoms were identified on the basis descriptions available in the
literature [3]. Distribution patterns of diatoms have been displayed in Table 4. Photomicrographs of
some diatoms can also been viewed in Fig. 2 (Supplementary) and Fig. 1.
 E. Saini et al. / Data in Brief 10 (2017) 63–68 65

Table 1
Physical characteristics of studied water bodies.

Name of water body Nature of Geography and Approximate depth

water body area (in m)

Morni Hills Tikkar Natural Lake Himalaya foothill 10.0

Taal Lake, (0.25 km2)
Panchkula
Tilyar Lake, Rohtak Lake Plain (Area 5.0
0.53 km2)
Jawaharlal Nehru Canal Plain (Area N.A.) 8.0
canal, Rohtak
Kharawad Village Well Plain (Area N.A.) 3.0
Well, Rohtak
Suraj Kund, Pond Aravli foothill 4.0
Faridabad (0.22 km2)

Table 2
Temperature at the time of sample collection.

Water body Water temperature at the time of sample collection

Winter (December Spring (March Summer (June Autumn (September

2013) (°C) 2014) (°C) 2014) (°C) 2014) (°C)

Morni Hills Tikkar Taal Lake, 10 23 38 27

Panchkula
Tilyar Lake, Rohtak 21 25 42 39
Jawaharlal Nehru canal, 21 25 42 39
Rohtak
Kharawad Village Well, 19 24 43 32
Rohtak
Suraj Kund, Faridabad 24 28 43 41

Table 3
The pH values of the water samples in different seasons.

Water body Winter (December Spring (March Summer (June Autumn (September
2013) 2014) 2014) 2014)

Morni Hills Tikker Tal Lake, 6.35 7.14 7.58 7.67

Panchkula
Tilyar Lake, Rohtak 9.56 8.00 9.74 8.82
Jawaharlal Nehru canal, Rohtak 7.67 7.62 7.77 7.83
Kharawad village well, Rohtak 7.97 8.14 7.78 7.89
Suraj Kund, Faridabad 7.81 8.01 8.26 8.12
66 E. Saini et al. / Data in Brief 10 (2017) 63–68

Fig. 1. Photomicrographs of diatoms through Scanning Electron Microscope.

 E. Saini et al. / Data in Brief 10 (2017) 63–68 67

Table 4
Overall diatoms distribution in five water bodies.

Diatom Water Body

Tikkar Tilyar Jawahar Kharawad Surujkund,

Taal Lake, Lake, Lal Well, Faridabad
Panchkula Rohtak Nehru Rohtak
Canal,
Rohtak

Achnanthes þ    
Amphora   þ  
Aulacoseira  þ   
Cocconeis  þ þ  
Cyclotella þ þ þ þ þ
Cymatopleura   þ  
Cymbella  þ þ þ þ
Diploneis   þ  
Diatoma  þ þ  
Epithemia  þ þ  
Eunotia  þ þ  
Fragillaria     þ
Gomphonema þ    þ
Hantzschia þ    
Gyrosigma  þ þ  
Melosira  þ þ  
Navicula þ þ þ þ þ
Nitzschia þ þ þ þ þ
Pinnularia  þ þ  
Pseudostaurosira þ    
Stauroneis þ    
Rhoicosphenia  þ þ  
Staurosirella   þ  
Surirella     þ
Synedra  þ þ  

Symbol description: ( þ Present;  Absent).

Acknowledgements

The authors express deepest regard to Electron Microscope Facility at Sophisticated Analytical
Instrumentation Facility (DST) Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New
Delhi for providing custom based facility to grab photomicrographs of few diatoms.

Transparency document. Supplementary material

Transparency data associated with this article can be found in the online version at http://dx.doi.
org/10.1016/j.dib.2016.11.072.

Appendix A. Supplementary material

Supplementary data associated with this article can be found in the online version at http://dx.doi.
org/10.1016/j.dib.2016.11.072.
68 E. Saini et al. / Data in Brief 10 (2017) 63–68

References

[1] M.K. Thakar, R. Singh, Diatomological mapping of water bodies for the diagnosis of drowning cases, J. Forensic Legal Med.
17 (2010) 18–25.
[2] R. Singh, Deepa, R. Kaur, Diatomological mapping of water bodies – a future perspective, J. Forensic Legal Med. 20 (2013)
622–625.
[3] B. Hartley, H.G. Barber, J.R. Carter, An Atlas of British Diatoms, Biopress Ltd., Bristol, United Kingdom, 1996.