The final discharge: Quantifying contaminants in embalming process effluents discharged to sewers in ontario, Canada

Kleywegt, Sonya; Payne, Mark; Raby, Melanie; Filippi, Daniel; Ng, Chi‐Fai; Fletcher, Tim D.

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2019.06.036

Cited by 25 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…These generated effluents tend to increase due to the increasing number of deaths from COVID-19 that began at the end of 2019 (Alishaq et al, 2021 ; Berkley, 2020 ; Fauci et al, 2020 ). According to Haque ( 2020 ) and Kleywegt et al ( 2019 ), an adequate effluent treatment system needs to comply with the environmental legislation of the country in which they will be installed. Emphasizing that the effluent treatment system in vertical cemeteries needs to be able to remove metals originating from the necroslurry, with pH correction (hydrogenionic potential) (Fernandes et al, 2018 ; Kleywegt et al, 2019 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metals in the soil of urban cemeteries in Carazinho (South Brazil) in view of the increase in deaths from COVID-19: projects for cemeteries to mitigate environmental impacts

Neckel

Korcelski

Silva

et al. 2021

Environ Dev Sustain

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The increasing mortality of COVID-19 can aggravate soil contamination by metals, harmful to the health of the population, requiring new projects for future cemeteries capable of mitigating these impacts to the environment, justifying the importance of studying the concentrations of metals in the soil of urban cemeteries. The paper analyzed the levels of metals in the soil of urban cemeteries in the City of Carazinho, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, located in southern Brazil, considering the increase in deaths by COVID-19, for the purpose of future projects for cemeteries aimed at mitigating the impacts generated on the environment. The soils of the three urban cemeteries in Carazinho were sampled, with 5 internal and external points, with 3 repetitions at depths of 0–20 and 20–40 cm, adding 180 samples to measure the concentrations of Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cr and Pb (g kg −1 ), considering the analytical sequence: (1) analysis in triplicate with mean deviation (RDS); (2) R2 of the analytical curve; (3) traceability of the pattern of each metal; (4) quantification limit of each metal (QL), with the performance of nitroperchloric digestion of the samples and the determinations of metals by flame modality atomic absorption spectrometry. Quantitative data on deaths by COVID-19 were analyzed by univariate modeling of time series, in the integrated autoregressive moving averages model. The results of this study were made available to fifteen architects, who attributed future solutions for environmentally sustainable cemeteries. The results showed high levels of copper (Cu) and iron (Fe) in the soil of the cemeteries studied. Considering the increase in deaths and subsequent burials per COVID-19 revealed a prediction for the death toll of 6,082,306 for June 9, 2022, it is assumed that metal contamination can reach even higher levels. To mitigate these levels of contamination by metals, 80% of the architect respondents expressed their preference for a vertical cemetery, with treatment of gases and effluents to mitigate environmental impacts.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metals in the soil of urban cemeteries in Carazinho (South Brazil) in view of the increase in deaths from COVID-19: projects for cemeteries to mitigate environmental impacts

Neckel

Korcelski

Silva

et al. 2021

Environ Dev Sustain

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“…Annual rainfall is generally high throughout the sector decreasing from 3000mm in the south to 2500mm in the northern extremities. Ambient temperatures are high but lower temperatures of about 14 o C -16 0 C daily minima, and 18 o C -25 o C daily maxima are recorded on the highland areas of Obudu plateau and Sankwala Mountains [17,20]. The influence of the relief from the ridge from Sao Tome, Fernada Po, Principe and Equatorial Guinea along the ridge through to Obudu mountains have some influence on rainfall pattern particularly in the southern and northern part of the state.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a result, the carbon in the formaldehyde molecule bonds with electron-rich nitrogen groups called amines found in plant and animal tissue. This leads to formaldehyde cross-linking, bonding proteins with other proteins and DNA, making them to be dysfunctional and become useless or no longer useful to human in nature, [12,13,17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, due to the public outcry on the growing awareness of the negative effects of embalming fluid on the environment and human health, people have become concerned to consider green burials, where there are either no harsh chemicals used in the embalming process, or there is no embalming process at all [15,17]. For those who still want embalmment in the United States, the Champion Company created Enigma has been used as a replacement for previous embalmment fluid.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Water Deficit Stress Tolerance Assessment in Barley Cultivars Using Drought Tolerance Indices

Habib¹,

Mannan²,

et.al.³

2022

JAC

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The purpose of this paper is to assess the environmental and health implications of local embalmment in Cross River State, Nigeria. The Ex-post-facto research design was adopted for this study. Six embalmment sites from six Local Government Areas were randomly selected across the state from where water and soil samples were taken for laboratory analysis and testing. The environmental impacts, as well as the health implications of local embalmment, were investigated. Multivariate statistical analysis was applied for the physicochemical parameters using a correlation matrix to evaluate factors influencing the groundwater chemistry and sources of pollution in the aquifer of the areas. Some laboratory procedures were also adopted to test the chemistry of the adjoining soils for the impacts of these embalmment chemicals as used by these morticians. A comparative analysis was further done on the different soil samples, the ones directly affected by the immediate mortuary facilities and those away from the facilities. A structured questionnaire made up of twenty items was also administered to the mortuary attendants and residents of the communities and adjoining communities where these embalmment homes are located. Simple percentage and correlation analysis was done to examine the perceived effect of embalmment chemicals on the environment and the health of residents. The results obtained from the laboratory analyses of selected groundwater and soil samples around the mortuary sites studied indicated that formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, humectants, metals, coli forms, microorganisms, and other contaminants from the mortuary sites have impaired the soil and water quality. It was recommended among others that green embalmment procedures should be encouraged, embalmment services should be located far away from residential areas and water bodies; wastes from embalmment/mortuary services should be sustainably disposed of to avoid these chemicals from contaminating the environment.

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“…Conventional embalming procedures result in the burial of more than 800,000 gallons of toxic embalming fluids, and manufacturing steel coffins produces four times the carbon dioxide released in a typical cremation. A study quantifying contaminants in embalming fluids discharged in sewers in Ontario, Canada 22 found 2 main constituents—formaldehyde and triclosan—at maximum concentrations. Other persistent organic pollutants detected in embalming effluent included banned pesticides and metabolites of DDT.…”

Section: Environmental Hazardsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Corpse: Time for Another Look A Review of the Culture of Embalming, Viewing and the Social Construction

Finney

Shulman

Kheirbek

2021

Am J Hosp Palliat Care

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Embalming of the dead is more common in the United States than anywhere else in the world. Battles far from home during the Civil War with concern for contagion from dead bodies being shipped home compelled President Lincoln to direct the troops to use embalming to allow the return of the Union dead to their homes. Viewings were common with war heroes and culminated with the viewing of Lincoln himself. In the 20th century embalming became a tradition despite substantial evidence indicating environmental and occupational hazards related to embalming fluids and carbon dioxide generated from manufacturing steel coffins before placing in concrete burial vaults. Embalming is promoted and considered helpful to the grieving process. Embalmers are expected to produce an illusion of rest, an image that in some ways disguises death for the benefit of mourners. The dead are carefully displayed in a condition of liminal repose where the ‘true’ condition is hidden, and death is removed from the actual event. In this paper we highlight the spiritual and cultural complexities of embalming related issues. We propose an innovative process to empower people facing serious illness, and their families to make shared and informed decisions, especially when death is an expected outcome.

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The final discharge: Quantifying contaminants in embalming process effluents discharged to sewers in ontario, Canada

Cited by 25 publications

References 10 publications

Metals in the soil of urban cemeteries in Carazinho (South Brazil) in view of the increase in deaths from COVID-19: projects for cemeteries to mitigate environmental impacts

Metals in the soil of urban cemeteries in Carazinho (South Brazil) in view of the increase in deaths from COVID-19: projects for cemeteries to mitigate environmental impacts

Water Deficit Stress Tolerance Assessment in Barley Cultivars Using Drought Tolerance Indices

The Corpse: Time for Another Look A Review of the Culture of Embalming, Viewing and the Social Construction

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