Promession
Promession is a method for disposing of human remains by way of freeze drying. It was invented and patented[1] in 1999 by a Swedish biologist Susanne Wiigh-Mäsak. The process uses liquid nitrogen followed by vibration to reduce the body remains.[2]
The method is based on three steps:
- Reducing the body of the deceased to a fine powder, thereby allowing subsequent decomposition to be aerobic. This is achieved by submerging the body in liquid nitrogen, making the remains so brittle that they shatter into a powder as the result of slight vibrations. The powder is then dried, reducing the deceased remains to around 30% of their original body weight.
- Removing and recycling metals within the powdered remains.
- Shallow-burying the powder in a biodegradable casket.
It is clear that to produce liquid nitrogen or LN2 on its own would be relatively costly, however this is offset by other factors when it is used to replace environmentally hazardous alternatives; Nitrogen is a by-product of the essential oxygen industry and for every 1 part oxygen, there are 4 parts of nitrogen produced; therefore the Promession method effectively recycles this waste product which otherwise is released back into the atmosphere, at the expense of the energy used to liquefy it.
Promession allows quick continuation of the life cycle through natural aerobic[3] decomposition.
- Below two feet, at the depth which coffins are traditionally buried, there is no oxygen, which is one of the prerequisites for composting or aerobic decomposition to take place. But despite this, the dead are buried at a depth where the oxygen is missing; therefore the deceased are exposed to a negative putrefaction process or anaerobic decomposition.
- It is the lack of oxygen combined with the amount of remains that causes the body to not decompose, but effectively putrify in an ordinary burial, With such large bodies, humans always start to rot if not first broken down into smaller parts so that oxygen can reach all body parts. In the past this would have been done by wild animals.
- It is important to remember that even the powder produced by Promession would not compost at 2 meters below ground, due to the lack of oxygen. The same applies to a body that is above ground or in the upper soil layers with high availability of oxygen. Despite the high oxygen content, the body still putrefies because the body is intact and whole and anaerobic conditions are already present in the gut . It is not enough for one or the other. Proper composting or aerobic decomposition of a corpse requires a combination of fragmentation of the body, oxygen-rich soil and micro-and macro-organisms. Therefore Promession is a modern and ethical manner to transform the body into smaller parts to get it to compost correctly and return to soil without the negative side effects associated with putrefaction.
The first facilities for Promession-based funerals, known as Promatoria, are due to be ready in 2011. They will be located in Sweden, Great Britain & South Korea.
The volume of remains left is about a third of the original body weight; the advantages include avoiding the release of pollutants into the atmosphere (for instance, mercury vapour from dental fillings) and the rapid decomposition of the remains (within 6 to 12 months of burial) and the return of the body to life's cycle. Promession allows for families to be buried in the same plot without disturbing previous remains and meets the requirements of new European Union pollution laws.[4]
"Promession" is derived from the Italian word for "promise" (promessa).
See also
References
External links
News articles about Promession
- [1] worlds most eco friendly burial set for the UK
- [2] East Cheshire Council - Promession
- Centre for Natural Burial, a website providing information about eco-cemeteries and natural burial.
- [3] The environmentally friendly burial Pioneer
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