Common Funeral Practices
There are standard practices when it comes to handling bodies and preparing them for burial. Following is a description of some of the more common methods that may be recommended at most funeral homes.
Embalming
Laws on embalming vary, but it is not absolutely required in any state. In most states, it is not required unless circumstances such as transporting the body, viewing, or aboveground burial make it necessary. Embalming preserves the body and eliminates some of the postmortem changes the body goes through. It also serves to disinfect the body, destroying bacteria and pathogens. Studies have shown that after a person dies the population of bacteria and pathogens increases greatly. If precautionary measures are not taken, the act of embalming can expose morticians to disease, and embalming fluid decreases the overall chance of transmitting infection from the body to the mortician. Besides potentially protecting funeral and mortician workers, the main purpose of embalming a body is to preserve it long enough for survivors to mourn and pay respects. The practice started during the Civil War when soldiers were embalmed for their journey home. In the event someone dies away from home, embalming allows time for the body to be returned.
Formaldehyde is the main ingredient in embalming fluid and kills most types of bacteria. It is a known carcinogen, and workers inhaling it over a long period have been diagnosed with throat and nose cancer. The Green Burial Council, a nonprofit organization that promotes ethical and sustainable end-of-life measures, considers the practice of embalming and the use of formaldehyde a traditional relic.
Embalming fluid is comprised of a variety of chemicals. Because solutions are patented, specific ingredients are confidential. Generally they include antibacterial compounds, preservatives, fragrances, dyes, solvents, and surfactants. Some in the industry advocate the use of alternative embalming fluids that are capable of disinfecting and preserving bodies while reducing the environmental impact and health concerns for workers. The University of Toledo in Ohio performed limited studies in the vicinity of a number of cemeteries to determine if embalming fluids impacted soil and groundwater. Results indicated that contaminant levels were detected but at minor concentrations.
The process of preserving includes pumping embalming fluid into an incision at the carotid artery and then allowing it to drain from an incision at the jugular vein. Blood and other fluids are then removed from the body cavity. Embalming fluid with a higher concentration of formaldehyde is then pumped into the organs to preserve them. Per the EPA, the fluid-blood mixture requires proper disposal as an industrial wastewater. It must either be flushed down the drain or containerized and taken to a permitted waste-water treatment facility. Funeral homes may also apply for an underground injection control permit that would allow them to discharge to their own septic system.
Refrigeration serves as an alternative to embalming for preserving a body. Cold storage can be provided by the hospital or funeral home. Depending on whether a viewing is to take place or when the funeral is scheduled, embalming may be required.
Coffins or Caskets
There are a variety of coffins available that differ in construction materials as well as cost. A majority of caskets are made out of cardboard, wood, steel, copper, and bronze and range in cost from $200 to over $10,000. Vaults encase caskets and are supposed to keep water and air out, providing additional protection for the body. They are usually made of a concrete shell and lined with asphalt, plastic, stainless steel, bronze, or copper. Vaults are meant to offer protection to the soil and groundwater and the casket; however, it's not always required. If you or a loved one choose not to be buried using a vault, make sure the cemetery chosen doesn't require one.
The environmental impacts of being buried in a coffin include the potential for metals, varnishes, sealers, and preservatives used on wood caskets to be released into the environment. Limited studies showed that arsenic was present in soil but not groundwater and was more than likely caused by older preservation methods or by wood preservatives that contained arsenic. Embalming fluid and wood preservatives no longer contain arsenic, but these changes are relatively new. Many arsenic-treated coffins holding arsenic-embalmed bodies have already been buried. Unlike arsenic, formaldehyde used for embalming today breaks down rather quickly. Arsenic, however, collects in the soil, slowly leaching into groundwater over time.
The materials used to build coffins are frequently harvested from sources that don't comply with sustainable practices. Mary Woodsen with the Pre-Posthumous Society of Ithaca estimated that 30 million board feet of hardwood are buried as caskets every year in the United States. It's difficult to determine if the wood selected for a coffin comes from a reputable source. The easiest way to avoid nonsustainable wood is to avoid exotics such as teak, sandalwood, and ebony and to steer clear of any wood that's harvested from rain forests.
