As the world grapples with the increasing urgency of climate change, the quest for environmentally friendly practices has extended into the realm of human finality. Traditional cremation, which relies on fossil fuels and releases harmful pollutants such as carbon monoxide, heavy metals, and particulates, has come under scrutiny. Enter alkaline hydrolysis, popularly known as aquamation or water cremation, offering a cheaper and more eco-friendly alternative.
The Process of Alkaline Hydrolysis
Alkaline hydrolysis involves placing the deceased’s body into a large metal chamber filled with 95% water and approximately 5% alkaline solution (a mix of potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, or both). The chamber is then heated to about 90 °C (194 °F) and maintained at this temperature for about 10 hours, although the duration and temperature may vary.
The water does not boil, and the gentle circulation of water and alkali breaks down the body into its natural components: amino acids, peptides, salts, and sugars. Essentially, this process accelerates and mimics the natural decomposition that occurs when a body is buried. Afterward, only bone fragments (calcium phosphate) remain, which are dried and cooled, then crushed into ashes and returned to the deceased’s family, much like traditional cremation.
Environmental and Health Benefits
One of the key advantages of alkaline hydrolysis is that it produces up to 30% more ashes than traditional cremation. Moreover, the process effectively disinfects the body, making it safer to handle in many cases. The resulting water, now free of alkaline substances, can be safely returned to the natural ecosystem.
In contrast to traditional cremation, which requires funeral directors to remove batteries, radioactive, pressurized, or silicone medical devices or implants before cremation, alkaline hydrolysis leaves these items in the body, allowing them to be returned to the family along with the ashes. Advocates of alkaline hydrolysis argue that this offers an additional layer of dignity and respect for the deceased.
Historical and Legal Context
The concept of alkaline hydrolysis was patented in 1888 by British inventor Amos Herbert Hobson as an excellent method for processing animal carcasses into plant fertilizer. It wasn’t until 1994 that Gordon Kaye and Peter Weber of Albany Medical College obtained the next patent related to landfill. Over the next decade, Kaye and Weber sold and installed over 75 alkaline hydrolysis machines, known as tissue digesters when used for animal remains.
After their company folded in 2006, former President and CEO Joseph Wilson founded Bio-Response Solutions, while European business manager Sandy Sullivan established Resomation in Scotland the following year. In 2010, Jeff Edwards, a funeral home director in Ohio, requested a machine from Bio-Response and began offering alkaline hydrolysis services to his clients in early 2011. However, after 19 treatments, state regulators halted Edwards’ license to process bodies in this manner, and Ohio no longer performs alkaline hydrolysis.
Legal, Religious, and Personal Factors
Cremation rates vary significantly worldwide, according to the Cremation Association of North America’s 2018-19 data. Japan has the highest cremation rate at 99.97%, followed by Australia at 69.23%, the UK at 78.10%, the US at 54.59%, and Canada at 73.12%. Personal, cultural, and religious factors play a significant role in these statistics. For instance, Hindus and Jains mandate cremation, while Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches prohibit it, and Christians generally discourage it, considering it a desecration of God’s image.
Legally, alkaline hydrolysis is considered cremation. Currently, 24 states in the US allow alkaline hydrolysis as a final disposition method for human remains, with legislation under consideration in New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. In Australia, only two companies offer alkaline hydrolysis: Aquamation in New South Wales and Alluvium Water Cremations in Tasmania. In July 2023, the BBC reported that water cremation will soon be landing in the UK.
Environmental Impact
A 2011 report by Dutch researchers for the荷兰应用科学研究组织 (TNO), commissioned by funeral chain Yarden, compared the environmental impact of four funeral technologies: burial, cremation, cryogenic freezing (using liquid nitrogen to freeze the body and then crush it), and alkaline hydrolysis. Considering 11 environmental impacts, including global warming, human toxicity, and land competition, the researchers concluded that cryogenic freezing and alkaline hydrolysis had the smallest environmental impact on Dutch deceased individuals.
These findings align with the green claims made by
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