In order to corroborate the medico-legal diagnosis of vital submersion we reviewed the appropriate literature and tested Icard's initial hypothesis, already expressed in 1932, that Strontium might be a good indicator of sea-water drowning. Therefore, we examined all the bodies found either in fresh or in sea-water, and also non-drowned control cases. Strontium concentrations in both cardiac cavities and in a peripheral blood-vessel were determined by flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The statistical evaluation of the results is hereby presented. We come to the conclusion that this determination can be a valuable additional proof for sea-water drowning diagnosis, whilst freshwater drowning would be more difficult to assess. Further investigations are being undertaken.

A hydride atomic absorption method has been applied to determine the antimony concentration in a single specimen of fourteen different mushroom species. The analytical methods used for the other metals were flame atomic absorption (for: zinc), Zeeman graphite furnace atomic absorption (for: thallium, cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, silver, cobalt, vanadium, manganese, molybdenum, strontium and cesium), hydride atomic absorption (for: bismuth, selenium, arsenic and tin), and cold vapour atomic absorption with amalgamation (for mercury). The correlation analysis of data carried out reveals a characteristic negative correlation of antimony with the metals Cd, Pd, As, Ni, Hg and Ag. According to this conclusion a suggestion is made that this is due to the competition of antimony with these metals for the same available ligands of chelating compounds in the plant.

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