Aquamation is the process of using water and chemicals to decompose a human or pet body quickly. It takes about 6 hours to reduce a human body to ashes, which is longer than flame cremation but substantially faster than decomposition from burial. This eco-friendly process is growing in popularity, and for a good reason.
What Is Aquamation Cremation?
You might have heard about cremation technology, which uses water and chemicals to decompose bodies. Aquamation cremation is also called hydrocremation, resomation, and alkaline hydrolysis. Any of these terms mean the same thing. It uses a water base for cremation instead of flames to break down tissue, as in burial.
What Is Aquamation For Humans?
Aquamation is a process where the shrouded body is placed in a long pressurized cylinder. Then a heated solution of about 95% water and 5% potassium hydroxide flows over it. Next, the chamber is heated to around 300 for four to six hours to decompose the tissues gently.
The process dissolves the body’s tissues and produces a liquid composed of salts, sugars, soap, and amino acids. Next, the sterile fluid flows down the drain, and the bones are dried. Finally, in a process similar to fire cremation, the bones are ground to whiteish dust before being placed in an urn.
Is Water Cremation A New Thing?
Hydrocremation began in 1888 when an Englishman found that he could mix animal remains with an alkali. The animal’s decomposition sped up when he heated and stirred this solution. He then used this for fertilizer, which helped farmers.
In the 1990s, alkaline hydrolysis became popular for disposing of animals used experimentally. Later the process gained an even larger audience when used during the Mad Cow epidemic. And then, in the 2000s, medical schools started using aquamation for bodies donated to science.
Finally, the funeral industry recognized the opportunities in aquamation and adopted the procedure for commercial use. And it is slowly catching on throughout the United States and the world. In fact, Archbishop Desmund Tutu opted for aquamation after his death. He asked for a cheap casket and an eco-friendly cremation, which brought the practice into the worldview.
How Is Alkaline Hydrolysis Cremation Eco-Friendly?
Hydrocremation treats the body similarly to ground burial. So the body decomposes in the same way that it disintegrates into the earth but in an accelerated timeframe. The solution’s alkalinity makes the water molecule split and break down tissue. It also breaks down embalming fluids or chemical traces left after chemotherapy.
In America, we bury an estimated 800,000 gallons of formaldehyde, methanol, and benzene yearly in embalmed bodies. So the remaining liquid from aquamation is more sterile than many buried bodies.
Quote: Every year in the United States, the chemicals and materials buried along with bodies in a conventional burial include approximately 30 million board feet of hardwoods, 2,700 tons of copper and bronze, 104,272 tons of steel, and 1,636,000 tons of reinforced concrete. –Berkley Planning Journal
In addition, fire cremation releases an estimated 360,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide into the air each year. However, with hydrocremation, there are no direct emissions of greenhouse gases into the environment since it uses electricity instead of fossil fuels.
And finally, the liquids going down the drains benefit water treatment plants. It aids the bacteria that break down sewage. So, all in all, hydrocremation seems to be more eco-friendly than fire cremation. And it is definitely greener than embalming and burial practices.
How Much Ash Comes From Hydrocremation?
You may also wonder how much ashes you’ll get back from hydrocremation. You will receive 20 to 30% more ashes from aquamation than fire cremation.
For example, a 200-pound person will result in approximately 200 cubic inches of ash. That’s about four pounds. So aquamation results in around 240 cubic inches or about 4.8 pounds of ashes.
The ashes from fire cremation come from the bones. Some ashes from clothing and burial container are also present. However, aquamation leaves only the mineral from the bones, so nothing else remains.
Ashes from aquamation are also a white powder, whereas fire cremation produces a much more coarse gray-colored ash.
Are Aquamated Ashes Safe To Touch?
Yes, aquamated ashes are safe to touch. So you can spread them at your loved one’s favorite hiking spot without worrying about your safety or environmental damage.
Ashes from hydrocremation are 100% sterile. So they don’t contain any DNA, pathogens, or disease.
What Is The Cost Of Aquamation?
Aquamation costs are similar to fire cremation costs. But honestly, those direct cremation costs range from $600 to $4,000 depending on where you are in the United States and even from one end of a city to another.
In some places, you might expect to pay $200-500 more than regular cremation costs. This extra price is primarily due to the higher equipment costs. For example, the average cost for direct cremation is $800-1,500. But you may pay $1,000 to $2,000 for aquamation.
In What States Is Aquamation Legal?
Aquamation is legal for humans in 21 states and four Canadian provinces. In addition, it is approved in the following places:
Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wyoming, the Northwest Territories, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Costa Rica, Mexico, South Africa
There is active legislation in six US states, and an additional eight states are under consideration for permitting water cremation. So even if alkaline hydrolysis is not yet legal where you live, you might be close enough to a neighboring approved state to go there.
What Is Aquamation For Pets, Aquamation For Dogs?
The process works the same for humans and pets. But since pets are generally smaller, the processing time is shorter. In addition, you can choose individual or communal aquamation for your pets.
Guardian Pet Aquamation in Loveland, Colorado, says, “Private chambers reside within the machine providing a complete barrier among individual pets.” So you can rest assured that you will receive only your dog’s ashes back.
The cost of pet aquamation is similar to that of fire cremation. Heavenly Paws Pet Aquamation in Atlanta, Georgia, offers prices starting at $69. Pricing depends on your pet’s weight and whether or not you want the ashes returned to your family.
It might take one to two weeks to receive your pet’s ashes after the aquamation. And, of course, you have many options available. For example, in addition to receiving your dog or cat’s ashes, you might also select an urn, paw print, or fur clipping.
Cremation jewelry also keeps a pinch of your pet’s ashes near you. So consider a wearable memorial after aquamation for your dog.
What Is Aquamation Burial?
You may hear the hydrocremation process referred to as aquamation burial, but that gives a different impression of what happens. Your body is not technically buried in water. Instead, as I mentioned above, the body’s components are broken down in a water and alkaline mixture.
Alkalis are made from sodium and potassium salts. These are the same alkalis used in makeup and biodiesel production. And by the end of the aquamation process, the chemical is absorbed, neutralized, and no longer remains in the water solution.
You can bury the aquamated remains of a loved one the same as you would bury the ashes from a traditional cremation.
Conclusion
So that’s a lot of information about aquamation, but here’s one more tidbit. Similar to saying someone has been cremated, it is okay to use the word aquamated too. So, for example, you might say, “My grandmother was aquamated.” And I even had to add this word to my personal Google dictionary. It’s new terminology for all of us.
From looking into hydrocremation, I am curious enough to talk to my own funeral director about it. I’ve already made funeral arrangements at the funeral home where I used to work. So I’ve discussed it with my family and am now leaning towards alkaline hydrolysis over fire cremation for myself.
The aquamation process has many benefits which appeal to me. I am choosing cremation because of its greener properties compared with burial. However, water cremation is even more eco-friendly than fire cremation.
- Zero emissions – no greenhouse gases
- 90% lower carbon footprint than flame-based cremation
- Ashes are sterile, disease- and pathogen-free.
- Similar low-cost to traditional cremation.
- Low energy consumption with electricity-based processes
Whether you choose burial, traditional cremation, or aquamation for yourself or a loved one, doing your homework ahead of time is crucial. It is essential to make some of these decisions and then put them into writing with a trusted funeral home. That way, you can rest assured that your family knows your wishes when the time comes.
