AIR POLLUTANTS
Air pollutants are emitted from the cremation processes by three major avenues,
combustion, incomplete combustion, and the volatilization of metals in the human body. Combustion is responsible for the emission of particulate matter, hydrogen chloride, and other emissions that depend on elements present in the atmosphere. Incomplete combustion during cremation, as with any incomplete combustion process, will produce carbon monoxide. Volatilization of metals or the deposition of metals onto soot, which is then emitted into the atmosphere, is responsible for the pollutants mercury, cadmium, and lead.
The result of incomplete combustion is the formation of carbon monoxide. The combustion process must take place in the presence of enough oxygen and at the proper temperature to reduce the amount of carbon monoxide formed and make the process complete. Cars are a major source of carbon monoxide and the source of many carbon monoxide poisonings. 1
Carbon monoxide reduces the ability of blood to deliver oxygen to the cardiovascular and nervous system. Long-term exposure can cause brain damage due to the lack of oxygen reaching the brain. The symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure are varied and include dizziness, nausea, fatigue, and decreased muscular control. 2
Particulate Matter
Dust, soot, ash, and unburned particles from the cremation container and remains make up the particulate matter that results from cremation. Some of these particles are consumed during afterburning but some will escape into the atmosphere through the stack. 1
Particles greater than 10 micrometers will be caught in the nasal passages when inhaled so it is the particles that are less than 10 micrometers that are most dangerous to human health. Between 10 and 1 micrometer particles will be caught in the trachea while those less than 1 micrometer will travel into the lungs and bronchial tubes of those who inhale these particles.
The affects of short-term exposure are lung irritation and lung constriction, which can cause shortness of breath and cough. Those with asthma and the elderly are most affected by this condition. Hazardous materials, like lead and cadmium, on these particles may dissolve once in the lungs and can damage cells. 3
Hydrogen chloride is produced when plastics containing chlorine are combusted. These plastics may be prosthetics that cannot feasibly be removed before cremation. It is estimated that for each pound of chlorinated plastic in the cremation process 0.55 pounds of gaseous hydrogen chloride is emitted in the exhaust. 1
Results from inhalation of hydrogen chloride include irritation of the lungs, which can result in cough, and shortness of breath. Higher exposure can cause fluid to build up in the lungs resulting in severe shortness of breath. Hydrogen Chloride is also corrosive and thus can cause severe irritation to eyes as well as burns that may cause permanent eye damage. 4
Nitrogen oxides are a common result of combustion in the presence of nitrogen. NOx is formed in the cremation process because it takes place in the atmosphere, which contains nitrogen. Another source of nitrogen is the body itself, which contains nitrogen as the fourth most abundant element. 1,5
Environmental affects of nitrogen oxides include its involvement with the formation of smog and acid rain. Acid rain can case damage to trees, lakes and other property. Health affects of nitrogen oxides are respiratory illnesses and lung disease that result from inhalation of nitrogen oxides. 2
Sulfur Oxides form as a result of the gas used and the sulfur that is present in the container and the remains. Sulfur is the eighth most abundant element in the human body. 1,5
As with nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide is an ingredient in acid rain and this can cause environmental damage. Sulfur dioxide can cause breathing problems and permanent damage to lungs at high concentrations. 2
Dioxins
Dioxins are formed during the combustion process when chlorinated products such as plastic are burned. These plastics may be present as prosthetics or as part of the container. The body also contains a percentage of chlorine and thus cremation produces dioxin. Dioxins are created on particles of soot that enable the hazardous chemical to travel from the incineration site. These particles will eventually settle out onto land. Contaminated grass enables the dioxin to enter the food chain and it will ultimately be consumed by humans and stored in body fat. 1,6
The average level of dioxin in the human body is suspected to affect the immune system while higher than average concentrations have more adverse affects. Damages to the liver, kidney and digestive tract are affects of dioxin-like compounds. Cancer, miscarriage, and birth defects are also possible at higher than average concentrations. 7
METALS
Lead and Cadmium
Lead and Cadmium are present in the human body and may be present in the container that is used for cremation. During the cremation processes soot may become contaminated with these metals and be carried out of the chamber. Lead is the nineteenth most prominent element in the human body at an average of 0.12g. Cadmium is twenty-second on a list of the most prominent elements in the human body at an average of 50mg. 1, 5
Lead poisoning is a familiar hazard of lead. Elevated levels of lead can cause nervous system damage, brain damage, and even affect blood chemistry. The adverse affects of cadmium are less familiar and include nausea, convulsions, and vomiting after short-term exposure to cadmium. Long-term exposure to cadmium can cause kidney, liver, and bone damage. 2, 8
Mercury
As with cadmium and lead, mercury enters the process because it is present in the body being cremated. Though it is only the thirty-sixth most abundant element in the body at 6mg for the average body, there is another source of mercury that is the cause of serious concern. Fillings made with dental amalgam contain more than 0.5 grams of mercury. Mercury will leak from these fillings because of mercury’s low vapor pressure and add to the mercury levels already present in the body. The intense temperatures of cremation cause the mercury present in the fillings to volatize and added to the mercury present in the body there can be a relatively large amount of mercury released. Studies have found as much as 200 micrograms per cubic meter of mercury during the cremation process of a body with dental amalgam fillings. 9
The hazards of mercury are severe even in small doses. Once present in the body mercury immediately and continually affects the function of the kidneys and can affect the central nervous system. Loss of balance, prevalence of antibiotic resistant intestinal bacteria, and risk of low fertility are other health effects of mercury. 9,10
1. "Regulated pollutants from crematories." Industrial Equipment & Engineering Co. 2000. <
http://www.ieeco.com/enviro2.htm>2. "Air Resource Division Pollutants." New Hampshire Department of Environmental Pollutants. <
http://www.des.state.nh.us/ard/polut.htm>3. "Particulate Matter." Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. 1 June 1998. <
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/aw/air/HEALTH/pm10.htm>4. "Right to Know Hazardous Substances Fact Sheets." New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. June 2001. <
http://www.state.nj.us/health/eoh/rtkweb/rtkhsfs.htm#H>5. Uthman, Ed "Elemental Composition of the Human Body." 14 Feb. 2000. <http://www.neosoft.com/~uthman/elements_of_body.html>
6. "Chlorine, pollution and the environment." The Women’s Environmental Network. June 1994. <http://www.mcsspotlight.org/media/reports/wenchlorine.html>
7. "Copy of: Our community need help on Cremation and Embalmment studies." 17 Sept. 1999. <http://lists.essential.org/dioxin-1/msg01014.html>
8. "Consumer Fact Sheet on: Cadmium." Environmental Protection Agency. 9 Mar. 2001. <http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwh/c-ioc/cadmium.html>
9. "Environmental Effect of Dental Amalgam." Florida League of Conservation Voters Education Fund. <http://www.floridalcv.org/FLCVEdFund/environmental_effect_of_dental_a.htm>
10. "The Dental Amalgam Issue." DAMS inc. Oct. 2001. <
http://www.amalgam.org/>