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Alkaline Hydrolysis Answers
- Alyssa Cavalieri
- Jun 1, 2020
- 3 min read
Alkaline hydrolysis, alternatively known as water cremation or aquamation, is a method of disposing remains through water, heat, and alkaline chemicals, hence the name. It is a relatively new method of commercial body disposition, dating back to the 1990s. Due to its relative newness, alkaline hydrolysis is currently only legal in twenty states, including Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, and North Carolina. It is also more expensive than cremation, although it is significantly more environmentally friendly.
The process of alkaline hydrolysis is quite similar to traditional cremation in the end, enough so that the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) voted to expand its definition of cremation to include aquamation. However, pacemakers and other sorts of implants do not need to be removed prior to water cremation, so it has the potential to be less invasive. It is incompatible with a casket, so bodies are wrapped in cloth or other biodegradable materials. The process takes place within a steel chamber, in which body is placed in a mixture of water and either potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, or a combination of both. This is designed to mimic the natural decomposition process. Heat and pressure serve to speed up the process to about three hours for full decomposition. The remains are then laid out to dry, and similar to cremation, ground up into an ash-like substance to be given back to the family or loved ones. The remaining fluid can be treated like normal waste water or even as fertilizer. Wired UK gives a tour of the machinery used in their YouTube video The Future of Death: Inside the Machine that Dissolves Corpses.
However, there are those who oppose the legalization of alkaline hydrolysis in the remaining States. The casket industry has been pushing against laws that would legalize aquamation, since the process does not require a casket in the same way that traditional cremation or burial does. According to U.S. News, the bill to legalize alkaline hydrolysis lost in 2015 in Indiana. The legislator who spoke out against it owned two casket-constructing companies. There are also concerns from those who believe that the water leftover from the process contains bits of their relatives. However, the organic matter, aside from the leftover bone fragments, is converted to something referred to as sterile affluent by CANA, which consists of water, salt, sugars, amino acids, and peptides. The Catholic Church has been an opponent of the legalization of water cremation due to the belief that it is essentially pouring bodies down the drain, and is therefore not a respectful disposal method. This map from CANA shows the legal status of alkaline hydrolysis in each state as of June 2020.
Alkaline hydrolysis is an eco-friendly alternative to traditional cremation that is slowly becoming legal throughout the United States of America. It uses less energy than cremation as well as releasing significantly less carbon dioxide, with water being the only remaining product besides ash. However, legalization and the current lack of funeral homes that have the equipment to offer alkaline hydrolysis can be a barrier to accessing this type of body disposal. The purchase of new equipment may also keep prices for water cremation higher than traditional cremation, but lower than the combined embalming, burial, and casket costs, until the practice becomes more common.
Until death do us part,
Alyssa
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