One Clear Dot

For years my mother, my sister, and I have sat around at various times and debated the whole burial vs. cremation issue. We talk about religious implications, economic points, personal preference, and even the option of green burial (Florida does have one green cemetery up in the Panhandle).

We completely overlooked one option, apparently. It turns out you can have your body dissolved in lye and then just wash away the remains. It’s called alkaline hydrolysis and initially was developed to get rid of animal carcasses. The process uses lye, 300-degree heat and 60 pounds of pressure per square inch in a stainless-steel cylinder. It’s a lot like pressure cooking on your stove, only bigger.

It’s not yet a common procedure for humans. You cannot find a funeral home that offers the service. Right now only two U.S. medical centers (The University of Florida in Gainesville and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota) use it on humans, and then only on donated research cadavers.

Experts predict the process may one day be as popular as burial or cremation.

Posted on May 9th, 2008 by onecleardot
Filed under: Life in the U.S.