Hazardous elements in urban cemeteries and possible architectural design solutions for a more sustainable environment

Neckel, Alcindo; Toscan, Paloma Carollo; Kujawa, Henrique Aniceto; Bodah, Brian William; Korcelski, Cleiton; Maculan, Laércio Stolfo; Almeida, Caliane Christie Oliveira de; Gonçalves, Affonso Celso; Snak, Aline; Moro, Leila Dal; Silva, Luis

doi:10.1007/s11356-023-25891-z

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Several authors point out the presence of heavy metals, which can expose surrounding populations to heightened risks, as depicted in Table 7 [4,62,74,[87][88][89][90][91]. Necroleachate thus alters the physicochemical and biological soil and groundwater characteristics in areas where no necroleachate waste treatment or collection facilities are available [75,77].…”

Section: Necroleachatementioning

confidence: 99%

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Could Necroleachate Be the Cemetery’s Sewage? A Panorama from Brazilian Legislation

Azevedo,

Cardoso,

Cohen

2023

IJERPH

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Cemeteries can be compared to landfills, as the leachate produced in these areas, also known as necroleachate, can be environmentally transported, polluting groundwater, surface water, and soil. In Brazil, to ensure no negative environmental impacts and public health risks, cemetery management is the responsibility of states and municipalities. In this context, this article aims to discuss Brazilian sanitary–environmental legislation concerning cemetery waste management. Only half of all Brazilian states have established sanitary–environmental cemetery legislation, and only 19 municipalities have specific laws. These laws, however, are broad and contain many gaps. Necroleachate care and control require both sanitary and environmental assessments to avoid environmental vulnerability and contamination risks for populations inhabiting surrounding areas. In this regard, new water analysis parameters in environmentally vulnerable areas should be established to control the population’s drinking water quality, such as the detection of C. perfringens. Furthermore, the construction of vertical cemeteries instead of horizontal ones and the adoption of cremation procedures should also be considered. This assessment comprises a novel research framework, as no studies on the impact of Brazilian laws on environmental necroleachate contamination are available to date.

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Section: Necroleachatementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several authors point out the presence of heavy metals, which can expose surrounding populations to heightened risks, as depicted in Table 7 [4,62,74,[87][88][89][90][91]. For this reason, necroleachate is classified as a Class I hazardous waste and as a healthcare waste.…”

Section: Necroleachatementioning

confidence: 99%

Could Necroleachate Be the Cemetery’s Sewage? A Panorama from Brazilian Legislation

Azevedo,

Cardoso,

Cohen

2023

IJERPH

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“…In the soils of urban cemeteries in Passo Fundo, Brazil, the concentrations of toxic metals were higher than those naturally occurring in control samples [2,27]. Dent's [28] research at the Australian Botanical Cemetery indicates that the electrical conductivity (or salinity) around recent burials has increased noticeably.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Delineation of Potential Groundwater Zones and Assessment of Their Vulnerability to Pollution from Cemeteries Using GIS and AHP Approaches Based on the DRASTIC Index and Specific DRASTIC

Gonçalves,

Albuquerque,

Almeida

et al. 2024

Water

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The risk of aquifer contamination is determined by the interaction between the pollutant load and the vulnerability of an aquifer. Owing to the decomposition of bodies and degradation of artefacts, cemeteries may have a negative impact on groundwater quality and suitability for use due to the leaching of organic compounds (e.g., biodegradable organics, pharmaceuticals, and formaldehyde), inorganic compounds (e.g., nitrate and heavy metals), pathogenic bacteria, and viruses. Factors such as burial and soil type, rainfall amount, and groundwater depth may increase aquifer vulnerability to pollutants generated in cemeteries. The potential for groundwater contamination was investigated in two cemeteries of the Soure region in Portugal (Samuel–UC9 and Vinha da Rainha–UC10), using the classic DRASTIC model, followed by some adjustments, depending on the particularities of the locations, resulting in a Final Classification considered as Specific DRASTIC. By combining Remote Sensing (RS), Geographic Information System (GIS), and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), groundwater potential zones (GWPZs) were identified, and aquifer vulnerability was assessed, which included the elaboration of thematic maps using GIS operation tools. The maps allowed for the identification of areas with different susceptibilities to contamination: from “Low” to “Very high” for the DRASTIC index and from “Very Low” to “Very high” for the Specific DRASTIC index. Although the difference between the UC9 and UC10 cemeteries is negligible, UC10 is more vulnerable because of its proximity to the community and critically important mineral water resources (such as Bicanho Medical Spa). The Specific model seems better-suited for describing vulnerability to cemeteries. Although there is limited groundwater quality data for the area, the development of vulnerability maps can identify areas that can be sensitive spots for groundwater contamination and establish procedures for pollution prevention.

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Assessment of groundwater quality from monitoring wells in an area occupied by a cemetery in South Brazil

Fernandes,

de Borba,

Vecchia

et al. 2024

Arab J Geosci

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Hazardous elements in urban cemeteries and possible architectural design solutions for a more sustainable environment

Cited by 4 publications

References 56 publications

Could Necroleachate Be the Cemetery’s Sewage? A Panorama from Brazilian Legislation

Could Necroleachate Be the Cemetery’s Sewage? A Panorama from Brazilian Legislation

Delineation of Potential Groundwater Zones and Assessment of Their Vulnerability to Pollution from Cemeteries Using GIS and AHP Approaches Based on the DRASTIC Index and Specific DRASTIC

Assessment of groundwater quality from monitoring wells in an area occupied by a cemetery in South Brazil

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