We are lloking for products and advice on this field:
"The cemetery as a special ecosystem"
It is not easy to dare all the psychological effects and the old social
traditions related with graveyards, but technical and scientific reasons
means a duty when it is necessary to take care of the health and
ecological
risks in a cemetery. At least, that is what we are trying to do at
<http://www.cita.es>.
Summarising geological and hydrological knowledge in one side, and the
biochemical ones on the other, the cemetery model behaves as a large
rubbish
dump where some dimensions, structures, weathers and substances
determine
the biological remains filtration (lixiviation) to subterranean aquifers
and
proliferation of fauna and flora related with human putrefaction. It
means
that the environment and the health can be in a serious awkward
situation
from the political, historical, social and economic point of view that
needs
new technologies, some investments and a lot of care.
Putrefaction happens in several stages that depend on dampness,
temperature
and external conditions. It is clear for the Science that most of the
bacterial that help us to digest the food in the intestine are the ones
most
active while putrefaction, when a lot of gas and liquids are ejected
from
the death body. However, our own bacterial is not enough and some more
are
needed that could not be in the ground around or that will take too much
time to perform a correct and completed putrefaction. Before that can
happen
it could be raining or can arrive a much less desired microorganism.
Engineering, building and technical support of every cemetery always
must to
think about the geology and hydrodynamics of the place. If the ground is
permeable, the water can be contaminated even quite far away from the
cemetery. And the opposite, where the ground is impermeable, we must be
afraid of the putrefaction with no oxygen enough (anaerobic) that will
lead
to plants, bacterial and little animals transmitting illness
(pathological)
to the human beings. Some epidemics con only be understood under the
influence of the cemetery as a focus of infections and afflictions.
We cannot forget that the cemetery is not a natural ecosystem. Even the
elephant cemeteries do not decompose (catabolize) so many organs in so
small
places like in most of the towns. The nasty smell and the stink of
corruption denounces the risks for the human being when living around
and
even much more when it is necessary to exhume, so while disinterments no
care is enough.
Recent scientific studies advice to control the putrefaction process of
the
cemeteries helping the Nature with non pathological bacterial and
enzymes
(biocatalyst) that can decompose the bodies better and in lest time,
with no
dangerous water contamination. Moreover, it is advisable to select the
most
appropriate botany for every climate. The target is to drain and to have
an
eye on the main chance of the cemetery, that can be reached with the
equilibrium of the flora and the micro fauna giving much more value and
less
risks to the places around where the people can be living in.
Miguel Angel Gallardo Ortiz is a Mining Engineer (UPM) and criminologist
(U.
Complutense) who is working for COOPERACIÓN INTERNACIONAL EN
TECNOLOGÍAS
AVANZADAS (C.I.T.A.), the Spanish company that leads the project
IBEROEKA
116 for Funeral Homes and Cemeteries Intranet communications in the
Internet
all over Latin America, http://www.cita.es
C.I.T.A. Apartado Postal (P.O. Box) 17083-28080 Madrid, España (Spain)
Tel: (+341) 474 38 09, Modem/Fax: (+341) 473 81 97
Internet E-mail: iberoeka at lix.intercom.es
