EFFECTS ON ECOLOGIC CYCLE AND POSSIBLE

ECONOMIC DIMENSIONS OF CREMATORIUM*

Assoc. Prof. A. Emel ÖNAL

Prof. Yakut Irmak ÖZDEN

Istanbul University, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Department of Public Health 

*This proceeding was presented at the IInd National Congress of Environmental Medicine in Ankara, TÜRKİYE (18-21 January 2006)

Life is based on photosynthesis. Thus the energy taken from the sun is converted to chemical energy and stored mainly in carbohydrates.

The corpses and waste products in the soil are disintegrated by microorganism’s enzymes and these products disperse to environment. Also the plants use these products. Thereby the food chain is constituted.

The cycles of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and phosphor taken place in nature are the main principle for the maintenance of ecologic cycle.

Cremation (burning the corpse) is performed in cremation oven (crematorium) by increasing the temperature from 872 C0 to

1092C0. The burning process lasts

approximately 80-120 minutes.

Only 2.5-3 kg. of bones remain at the end of the cremation process.

After cooling process the bones are exposed to a mechanic grinder. The powder is placed in a original container.

The tenth item of General Prevention of Health Law dated 24th April 1930 with number 1593 in Turkey, is about cemeteries, burial, exhumation and corpse transport. Articles 224, 225, 226 explain the conditions about the cremation.

According to article 224, municipality can constitute crematorium with the authorization from Ministry of Health.

According to article 225, the conditions that require being able to perform a cremation:

1- An official report from a doctor revealing that it is not a suspicious death and a burial authorization.

2- Testament from the dead person revealing his/her will or three witnesses about it.

3- Document from local police office revealing that the death is not a criminal one.

These documents should be delivered to the municipality 24 hours before the cremation.

It is not permitted to disinter for the purpose of cremation.

According to article 226, remaining ashes should be stored in a division of cemetery with their original container.

Cremation is not accepted by Islam and Judaism.

Although Catholic Church disputes the cremation, from 1963 crematoriums have been operating in Catholic countries.

During the Board Meeting of European Federation of Funeral Services (EFFS) held in Turkey, it was notified that crematorium was the most important issue in funeral field for EU members and this issue would be harmonized in EU countries.

Turkey is the only country from out of EU which was accepted two years ago as a member of EFFS founded in 1992.

Cremation is permitted in all EU countries except Greece.

In EU countries cremation rates are between 3-80%.

It would be requested to be in conformity with some standards to harmonize for funeral transport.

In these standard parameters it would be requested that the ashes should be stored in a division of cemetery as in General Prevention of Health Law. Also it is possible to be requested that the ashes should be dispersed to the soil or water as in other EU countries.

Therefore this issue should be reviewed in terms of public health.

Crematoriums cause air pollution during the burning process. To prevent this it has been used chimney filters.

As it is known 60-70 % of human body is composed of water. Rest of the human body composes of the elements such as C, N, Ca, P, K, S, Na, Cl, Mg, Fe, I respectively with their amounts.

In addition there are some metals such as Cu, Mn, Zn, fluorine, chrome and selenium with very little amounts.

In adults 16 % of human body is from protein, 18 % from fat, 1% from carbohydrate and 6 % from minerals.

After burning process some of the organic substances convert to gas such as H2S, NO2 CO, CO2 by reactions with water. These gases produce air pollution. Resting substances such as C, CaPO4 form ashes.

Also metals do not burn and they are available in ashes. C, N, S, P and H2O can

participate to natural cycle. Since metals are not recycling in nature if one area expose to excessive ashes it can be possible to cause pollution.

Other important issue is the ethical dimension of cremation and processes after cremation.

It can be possible to form one carat of diamond from ashes which remains approximately 500 g. It can be used as a jeweler or put on a granite base to store according to the wishes of the relatives of the deceased.

There are some entrepreneurs attempting to constitute crematorium in Turkey.

It is likely to be followed by the entrepreneurs who want to produce diamond.

After a while is it not possible to seem as a profitable sector in which diamond is produced from burning corpse?

Is it not possible to conduct other commercial activities with this process?

Effects on ecologic cycle and economic dimensions of crematoriums can be considered with various international scenarios as well as national ones.

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Istanbul University, Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty Editions, Rectorate No: 2660, Deanery No: 67, 2. Edition, Istanbul 1980, page:126

2-Again Crematorium Discussion, Star Newspaper, 17th January 2005 17:33:00, http://www.stargazete.com/starextra/index.asp?haberID=17222 Access date: 15th Dec. 2005

3-General Prevention of Health Law, Law number:1593, Acceptance date:24th April 1930, Issued on Official Newspaper on 6th May 1930, Number:1489, Publication Volume III: 11, page: 143.

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9-“Phobia of Large Time”, 28th August 2005. http://prag-matik.blogspot.com/2005/08/geni-zaman-korkusu.html Access date: 15th Dec 2005.

10-Becoming diamond by burning after dead, 17th March 2005. http://www.sesonline.ch/haber.asp?submenu=news&n_id=485&n_kid=19 Access date: 15th Dec 2005.

11-Attempt for crematorium in Turkey, Hürriyet, 1st Nov 2001. http://www.hurriyetim.com.tr/haber/0,,sid~5@tarih~2004-11-02-t@nvid~489380,00.asp Access date: 15th Dec 2005.

12-One more deficient on the way of EU, Radikal, 6th Oct 2004. http://www.radikal.com.tr/haber.php?haberno=130259 Access date: 15th Dec 2005.