Aquamation
By now you would have heard the term courtesy of Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Technically known as “alkaline hydrolysis” which involves the body of the deceased to be immersed in a pressurised tank containing a solution of alkali (such as potassium hydroxide) and water, then sealing the tank, increasing the pressure and heating to around 160°C for 4 to 6 hours (the increased pressure stops the solution from boiling at a temperature higher than 100°C)..
All soft tissues are liquefied which leaves teeth and bones which are dried in an oven. This reduces the solids remains to finer particles and dust to be transferred to an urn.
Conventional water treatment processes can manage the remaining water.
Aquamation was first developed in the 1990’s as a cheaper and faster method dispose of animals and was widely used to hygienically and safely dispose of cows during the mad-cow epidemic.
The process as adopted in some medical schools during the 2000’s to dispose of donated human bodies, again as it was deemed to be more efficient and hygienic.
For some time now, Cremation has been growing in popularity for a number of reasons. One being diminishing space in urban areas for burials meaning increased costs. So now Aquamation is becoming another alternative - only in those countries that have legislated control of the method.
The environmental credentials of the process have been quantified by various sources :
- 5 times less energy than fire
- 35% reduction in greenhouse gases emissions by a funeral service
- less than 10% of the carbon emissions of fire for cremation
The ethereal credentials are not as easy to quantify, but it could be said that water is a gentler way to go when compared to flame.
At Northern Beaches Funerals, we create the perfect farewell based on your wishes and the options available.
Every person is unique. Every family is different.
With us, every Funeral is Individual.
-- 0416 178 129
-- kathryn@northernbeachesfunerals.com.au