Are cemeteries and decaying bodies an environmental hazard?

摘要

Burial is often thought to be hazardous to the environment and public health. The process of decomposition has a negative connotation and it is feared that pathogens and chemical substances may seep into the soil and reach the ground water. However,these fears are unfounded. The main problem in cemeteries is the generation of adipocere, a wax-like substance that interrupts post-mortem decomposition. Adipocere, which is largely a problem of public acceptance, occurs in wet or clayey soils and can beavoided by drainage. The level of pollutants in drainage water is so low that it can be safely discharged directly into a receiving water course.