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Shehata TP, Krap T. An overview of the heat-induced changes of the chemical composition of bone from fresh to calcined. Int J Legal Med 2024; 138:1039-1053. [PMID: 38270608 PMCID: PMC11004044 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-024-03160-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
When bone is exposed to thermal stress, the chemical composition changes. This affects bone tissue regeneration after surgery, and these changes can also aid in reconstructing ante-, peri-, and post-mortem events in forensic investigations and past activities on cremation practices in archaeology. However, to date, no complete overview exists on the chemical composition of both fresh and thermally altered bone. Therefore, we aimed (i) to present the chemical composition of fresh bone and (ii) to present an overview of heat-induced chemical changes in bone under both reducing and oxidizing conditions. From the overview, it became clear that some chemical changes occur at a consistent temperature, independent of exposure duration, meaning there is a temperature threshold. However, the occurrence of other chemical changes appeared to be more inter-experimentally variable, and therefore, it is recommended to further investigate these changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas P Shehata
- University of Amsterdam, Spui 21, 1012 WX, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan1105, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tristan Krap
- Department of Medical Biology, Section Anatomy & Biomedical Engineering and Physics, Amsterdam Medical Centre, Location Academic Medical Centre, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Maastricht University, Minderbroedersweg 4-6, 6211 LK, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
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2
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Waltenberger L, Heimel P, Skerjanz H, Tangl S, Verdianu D, Rebay-Salisbury K. Lateral angle: A landmark-based method for the sex estimation in human cremated remains and application to an Austrian prehistoric sample. Am J Biol Anthropol 2024; 184:e24874. [PMID: 37982358 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Estimating the sex of cremated human remains is difficult. The petrous bone frequently survives the cremation due to its density. Wahl observed the lateral angle to be sexually dimorphic in the 1980s. Previous studies showed various cut-off points to separate females from males, which are hardly replicable and difficult to apply. We want to test the Wahl method and compare it to a new landmark-based version. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this study, we measured the lateral angle of 35 cremated petrous bones from late bronze age Austria using micro-CT scans. Technical errors of measurement were calculated for two different methods to intersect the internal acoustic meatus virtually in the midline (manual or landmark-based intersection). Furthermore, sex was estimated based on morphological features and metric measurements. This information was used in logistic regression modeling to define a cut-off point in our sample. RESULTS The technical errors of measurement suggested that a landmark-based method was more precise in comparison to a manual intersection which was much more intuitive. Inter- and intra-observer errors were low which improved reliability. The logistic regression model produced good results in our sample (p = 0.02, R2 = 0.38, accuracy = 0.8). The mean lateral angle was similar to studies which focused on prehistoric cremated petrous bones. DISCUSSION The proposed landmark-based method was precise, quick, and could be easily applied, even by unexperienced researchers. The size of the lateral angle seemed to be population-specific but also dependent on the method applied. We recommend to use the proposed landmark-based method which is more precise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Waltenberger
- Austrian Archaeological Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- Institute for Prehistory and Historic Archaeology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Patrick Heimel
- Core Facility Hard Tissue and Biomaterial Research, Karl Donath Laboratory, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Traumatology, The Research Center in Cooperation with AUVA, Vienna, Austria
- Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hannah Skerjanz
- Austrian Archaeological Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan Tangl
- Core Facility Hard Tissue and Biomaterial Research, Karl Donath Laboratory, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, Vienna, Austria
| | - Domnika Verdianu
- Austrian Archaeological Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina Rebay-Salisbury
- Austrian Archaeological Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- Institute for Prehistory and Historic Archaeology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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3
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Innocenti D, Simonit F, Desinan L. Burning temperature and bone modification: The cremation dynamics. Leg Med (Tokyo) 2024; 67:102376. [PMID: 38194752 DOI: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2023.102376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Burning a body is one of the best-known methods to conceal a crime. The aim of this study is to identify thermal changes in bones burned at pre-set temperatures. 100 cadavers undergone cremation were analysed. Cremation temperatures ranged from 600 to 1200 °C, whereas cremation time was monitored. Morphological and colour changes of the bones, the development of fire-related fractures and surface were studied to analyse bone response to thermal alteration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Innocenti
- Università degli Studi di Udine, Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Italy.
| | - Francesco Simonit
- Università degli Studi di Udine, Dipartimento di Area Medica, Medicina Legale, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Desinan
- Università degli Studi di Udine, Dipartimento di Area Medica, Medicina Legale, Italy
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4
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Nordh H, House D, Westendorp M, Maddrell A, Wingren C, Kmec S, McClymont K, Jedan C, Priya Uteng T, Beebeejaun Y, Venbrux E. Rules, Norms and Practices - A Comparative Study Exploring Disposal Practices and Facilities in Northern Europe. Omega (Westport) 2023; 88:171-199. [PMID: 34494471 PMCID: PMC10568948 DOI: 10.1177/00302228211042138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
We identify and analyse practices and management regimes around burial and handling of ashes across eight case study towns within six Northern European countries. We analyse management of cemeteries and crematoria gardens, majority practices and provision for minority communities, including various burial types, cremated remains, the re-use of graves, and costs for interments. Comparative data is drawn from analysis of national and local regulations, interviews with stakeholders, and observations at cemeteries and crematoria gardens. The findings show significant variation in national and local regulations and practices for burial and cremation particularly around the re-use of graves, handling of ashes and costs for grave space and cremation. We identify the opportunities and constraints of these variations in terms of accessibility, diversity and equality; and argue for national directions to avoid unequal treatment within nations. Furthermore, we stress the importance of a liberal and inclusive management of European cemeteries and crematoria gardens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Nordh
- Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Danielle House
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Mariske Westendorp
- Department of Religious Studies, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Avril Maddrell
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Carola Wingren
- Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sonja Kmec
- Department of Humanities, University of Luxembourg, Belval, Luxembourg
| | - Katie McClymont
- Geography and Environmental Management, University of the West of England Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Christoph Jedan
- Department of Religious Studies, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Tanu Priya Uteng
- Department of Mobility, Institute of Transport Economics, Oslo, Norway
| | - Yasminah Beebeejaun
- The Bartlett School of Planning, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eric Venbrux
- Centre for Thanatology/Department of Comparative Religion, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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5
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Sharma G, Thakral S, Setia P. A novel approach towards identification: A case report and review of literature. J Forensic Leg Med 2023; 100:102616. [PMID: 37950992 DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2023.102616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/13/2023]
Abstract
A primary objective of a medico-legal autopsy is to determine the identity of the deceased. The act of praying for prolonged periods of time can lead to the development of skin marks in Muslims, commonly referred to as "Naamaj signs" or prayer marks. An elderly male of unknown identity was brought dead to the hospital, where a post-mortem examination was performed. The patient's name in the treatment records suggested that the deceased was a member of the non-Muslim community, conflicting with the post-mortem examination report indicating circumcision and belonging to the Muslim Community. The disposal authority questioned whether cremation or burial was more suitable for the deceased. When it comes to cases involving religious identification, basing a decision on a single feature alone is not enough to permit the disposal of a deceased body. It is crucial to take into account other characteristics before determining the appropriate disposal method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaurav Sharma
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, S.N. Medical College, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India.
| | - Sahil Thakral
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bathinda, Punjab, 151001, India.
| | - Puneet Setia
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, 342005, India.
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6
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Huang L, Li OZ, Yin X. Inferring China's excess mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic using online mourning and funeral search volume. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15665. [PMID: 37730765 PMCID: PMC10511516 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42979-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
We construct a mourning and funeral index, using online search volume for "wreath and elegiac couplet", "obituary", "mortuary house", "cinerary casket", "cremation" and "pass away", to infer excess cases of mortality in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 3-month period (December 2022-February 2023) after China ended its Zero-COVID policy, there were around 712 thousand excess cases of mortality. These excess cases of mortality, bench marked against the 2-year period preceding the pandemic, could be directly or indirectly related to COVID-19. During the 35-month Zero-COVID regime (January 2020-November 2022), the excess death toll was a negative 1480 thousand. Overall, by delaying the surge in infections, China might have saved 767 thousand lives. While these estimates are based on various assumptions and can be imprecise, China's COVID-19 experience could reasonably be characterized by a sharp surge in deaths after its departure from Zero-COVID and a steady pattern of lives saved during the Zero-COVID regime.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Huang
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Oliver Zhen Li
- Shanghai Lixin University of Accounting and Finance, Shanghai, China.
- National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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7
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Waltenberger L, Bosch MD, Fritzl M, Gahleitner A, Kurzmann C, Piniel M, Salisbury RB, Strnad L, Skerjanz H, Verdianu D, Snoeck C, Kanz F, Rebay-Salisbury K. More than urns: A multi-method pipeline for analyzing cremation burials. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0289140. [PMID: 37647251 PMCID: PMC10468036 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Burial rites of archaeological populations are frequently interpreted based on cremated remains of the human body and the urn they were deposited in. In comparison to inhumations, information about the deceased is much more limited and dependent on fragmentation, selection of body regions, taphonomic processes, and excavation techniques. So far, little attention has been paid to the context in which urns are buried. In this study, we combined archaeological techniques with anthropology, computed tomography, archaeobotany, zooarchaeology, geochemistry and isotopic approaches and conducted a detailed analysis on a case study of two Late Bronze Age urns from St. Pölten, Austria (c. 1430 and 1260 cal. BCE). The urns were recovered en-bloc and CT-scanned before the micro-excavation. Osteological and strontium isotope analysis revealed that the cremated remains comprised a young adult female and a child that died at the age of 10-12 years. Both individuals had been subject to physiological stress and were likely local. Animal bones burnt at different temperatures suggested different depositional pathways into the urn and pit as part of the pyre, food offerings, and unintentional settlement debris. Eight wild plant and five crop plant species appeared as part of the local landscape, as food offerings and fire accelerants. Sediment chemistry suggests that pyre remains were deposited around the urns during burial. Multi-element geochemistry, archaeobotany, and zooarchaeology provide insights into the Late Bronze Age environment, the process of cremation, the gathering of bones and final funerary deposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Waltenberger
- Austrian Archaeological Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- Unit of Forensic Anthropology, Center for Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marjolein D. Bosch
- Austrian Archaeological Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michaela Fritzl
- Austrian Archaeological Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - André Gahleitner
- Clinical Division of Radiology, University Clinic of Dentistry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Kurzmann
- Clinical Division of Conservative Dentistry, University Clinic of Dentistry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Center of Clinical Research, University Clinic of Dentistry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Maximilian Piniel
- Austrian Archaeological Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Roderick B. Salisbury
- Austrian Archaeological Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ladislav Strnad
- Laboratories of the Geological Institutes, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Hannah Skerjanz
- Austrian Archaeological Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Domnika Verdianu
- Austrian Archaeological Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christophe Snoeck
- Multidisciplinary Archaeological Research Institute, Department of Art Sciences and Archaeology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
- Research Unit: Analytical, Environmental & Geo-Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit, Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Fabian Kanz
- Unit of Forensic Anthropology, Center for Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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8
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Cremation service for companion animals. Vet Rec 2023; 193:143. [PMID: 37594806 DOI: 10.1002/vetr.3380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
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9
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Dyer O. Covid-19: Leaked cremation data hint at true scale of China's death rate. BMJ 2023; 382:1760. [PMID: 37524387 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.p1760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
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10
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Coradeschi G, Jiménez Morillo NT, Dias CB, Beltrame M, Belo ADF, Granged AJP, Sadori L, Valera A. Anthracological study of a Chalcolithic funerary deposit from Perdigões (Alentejo, Portugal): A new analytical methodology to establish the wood burning temperature. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0287531. [PMID: 37418445 PMCID: PMC10328357 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthracological analyses of charcoal samples retrieved from Pit 16 of Perdigões (Reguengos de Monsaraz, Portugal), a secondary deposition of cremated human remains dated back to the middle of the 3rd millennium BC, enabled the identification of 7 different taxa: Olea europaea, Quercus spp. (evergreen), Pinus pinaster, Fraxinus cf. angustifolia, Arbutus unedo, Cistus sp. and Fabaceae. All taxa are characteristic of both deciduous and evergreen Mediterranean vegetation, and this data might indicate that the gathering of woods employed for the human cremation/s occurred either on site, or in its vicinity. However, considering both the large distribution of the identified taxa and data about human mobility, it is not possible to conclusively determine the origin of the wood used in the cremation(s). Chemometric analysis were carried out to estimate the absolute burning temperature of woods employed for the human cremation/s. An in-lab charcoal reference collection was created by burning sound wood samples of the three main taxa identified from Pit 16, Olea europaea var. sylvestris, Quercus suber (evergreen type) and Pinus pinaster, at temperatures between 350 and 600 °C. The archaeological charcoal samples and the charcoal reference collection were chemically characterized by using mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy in the 1800-400 cm-1 range, and Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression method was used to build calibration models to predict the absolute combustion temperature of the archaeological woods. Results showed successful PLS forecasting of burn temperature for each taxon (significant (P <0.05) cross validation coefficients). The anthracological and chemometric analysis evidenced differences between the taxa coming from the two stratigraphic units within the Pit, SUs 72 and 74, suggesting that they may come from two different pyres or two different depositional moments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ginevra Coradeschi
- HERCULES Laboratory, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
- CityUMacau Chair in Sustainable Heritage, Évora University, Évora, Portugal
| | - Nicasio T. Jiménez Morillo
- MED – Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development & Department of Biology, School of Science and Technology, Mitra (UE Campus), Évora, Portugal
- Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Seville (IRNAS-CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | - Cristina Barrocas Dias
- HERCULES Laboratory, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
- Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, School of Sciences and Technology, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
| | - Massimo Beltrame
- HERCULES Laboratory, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
- CityUMacau Chair in Sustainable Heritage, Évora University, Évora, Portugal
| | - Anabela D. F. Belo
- MED – Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development & Department of Biology, School of Science and Technology, Mitra (UE Campus), Évora, Portugal
| | - Arturo J. P. Granged
- Department of Applied Physics I, University of Sevilla, Seville, Spain
- Med_Soil Research Group, Faculty of Chemistry University of Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Laura Sadori
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - António Valera
- Archaeological Research Unit of Era Arqueologia S.A., Lisboa, Portugal
- ICArEHB Algarve University, Gambelas Campus, Algarve University, Algarve, Portugal
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11
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Prahlow JA, VanderVeen MH, Storer JD. Cremation Permit Review and COVID-19 Death Certificates. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 2023; 44:90-96. [PMID: 36716405 PMCID: PMC10184707 DOI: 10.1097/paf.0000000000000814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Data derived from death certificates (DCs) is an important resource for mortality statistics, disease surveillance, and the creation of public health policies. This study involved the review of COVID-19 DCs occurring during the normal course of DC review for cremation approval purposes in a medical examiner office. During the review process since the occurrence of the pandemic, it was noticed that a significant percentage of COVID-19 DCs being reviewed did not include any comorbid conditions as contributing to death, despite reports, both within the medical literature and within the media, that suggested that most deaths occur in people with known risk factors. The study involved medical record review for COVID-19 DCs that did not list any comorbid conditions. The results indicated that a vast majority of such cases did, in fact, have significant comorbid conditions, such that they should have been listed on the DCs.
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Löffelmann T, Snoeck C, Richards JD, Johnson LJ, Claeys P, Montgomery J. Sr analyses from only known Scandinavian cremation cemetery in Britain illuminate early Viking journey with horse and dog across the North Sea. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280589. [PMID: 36724154 PMCID: PMC9891522 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The barrow cemetery at Heath Wood, Derbyshire, is the only known Viking cremation cemetery in the British Isles. It dates to the late ninth century and is associated with the over-wintering of the Viking Great Army at nearby Repton in AD 873-4. Only the cremated remains of three humans and of a few animals are still available for research. Using strontium content and isotope ratios of these three people and three animals-a horse, a dog and a possible pig-this paper investigates the individuals' residential origins. The results demonstrate that strontium isotope ratios of one of the adults and the non-adult are compatible with a local origin, while the other adult and all three animals are not. In conjunction with the archaeological context, the strontium isotope ratios indicate that these individuals most likely originated from the area of the Baltic Shield-and that they died soon after arrival in Britain. This discovery constitutes the first solid scientific evidence that Scandinavians crossed the North Sea with horses, dogs and other animals as early as the ninth century AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessi Löffelmann
- Department of Archaeology, University of Durham, Durham, United Kingdom
- Department of Chemistry, Research Unit: Analytical, Environmental & Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, AMGC-WE-VUB, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Christophe Snoeck
- Department of Chemistry, Research Unit: Analytical, Environmental & Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, AMGC-WE-VUB, Brussels, Belgium
- G-Time Laboratory, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Art Sciences & Archaeology, Maritime Cultures Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Julian D. Richards
- Department of Archaeology, University of York, The King’s Manor, Exhibition Square, York, United Kingdom
| | - Lucie J. Johnson
- Department of Archaeology, University of Durham, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Philippe Claeys
- Department of Chemistry, Research Unit: Analytical, Environmental & Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, AMGC-WE-VUB, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Janet Montgomery
- Department of Archaeology, University of Durham, Durham, United Kingdom
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Franco DS, Georgin J, Villarreal Campo LA, Mayoral MA, Goenaga JO, Fruto CM, Neckel A, Oliveira ML, Ramos CG. The environmental pollution caused by cemeteries and cremations: A review. Chemosphere 2022; 307:136025. [PMID: 35985390 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In recent years the funeral industry has drawn attention from the scientific community concerning the potential pollution of the environment and the urban environment. In this review, the pollution caused by the cemeteries and crematoria around the world was addressed. The traditional burial leads to the production of ions, in the form of organic and heavy metals, bacteria, fungi, and viruses, that spread along with the soil and underwater. The crematoria produce small particles, trace gases (SOx, NOx, CO), and toxic organic volatiles. The effluent generated by both methods can lead to several environmental problems and further threaten human health. The current solution for the cemeteries in the development of a system in which effluent generated by the traditional burials are collected and treated before realizing in the environment. In addition to that, the green burial should be an alternative, since the corpse does not go through the embalming process, thus eliminating the presence of any undesired chemicals, that are further leached onto the environment. The crematoria should be employed as it is, however, the gas treatment station should be employed, to ensure the minimization of the impact on the environment. Last, future researches regarding the treatment of the cemeteries leached still need to be explored as well as the optimization and further development of the crematoria gas treatment process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dison Sp Franco
- Department of Civil and Environmental, Universidad de la Costa, CUC, Calle 58 # 55-66, Barranquilla, Atlántico, 080002, Colombia.
| | - Jordana Georgin
- Graduate Program in Civil Engineering, Federal University of Santa Maria, 97105-900, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Luis Angel Villarreal Campo
- Department of Civil and Environmental, Universidad de la Costa, CUC, Calle 58 # 55-66, Barranquilla, Atlántico, 080002, Colombia
| | - Maria Arango Mayoral
- Department of Civil and Environmental, Universidad de la Costa, CUC, Calle 58 # 55-66, Barranquilla, Atlántico, 080002, Colombia
| | - Jose Orozco Goenaga
- Department of Civil and Environmental, Universidad de la Costa, CUC, Calle 58 # 55-66, Barranquilla, Atlántico, 080002, Colombia
| | - Carolina Moreno Fruto
- Department of Civil and Environmental, Universidad de la Costa, CUC, Calle 58 # 55-66, Barranquilla, Atlántico, 080002, Colombia
| | - Alcindo Neckel
- Faculdade Meridional, IMED, 304- Passo Fundo, RS 99070-220, Brazil
| | - Marcos Leandro Oliveira
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina R. Eng. Agronômico Andrei Cristian Ferreira, s/n - Trindade, Florianópolis, SC, 88040-900, Brasil
| | - Claudete Gindri Ramos
- Department of Civil and Environmental, Universidad de la Costa, CUC, Calle 58 # 55-66, Barranquilla, Atlántico, 080002, Colombia.
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14
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Végh EI, Márquez-Grant N, Schulting RJ. Physicochemical Changes in Bone Bioapatite During the Late Postmortem Interval Pre- and Post-Burning. Appl Spectrosc 2022; 76:1080-1099. [PMID: 35188426 PMCID: PMC9490440 DOI: 10.1177/00037028221085600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Postmortem chemical transformation of bone bioapatite can take place during early diagenesis, resulting in a more thermodynamically stable mineral phase. This paper examines the impact of a one year postmortem interval on unburnt and burnt bone's structural and chemical alterations. This question is of importance for the reconstruction of funerary practices involving cremation in the archaeological record, as well as forensic anthropological investigations. Fleshed pig (Sus scrofa) tibiae were left exposed in a field, then collected at 14, 34, 91, 180, and 365 day intervals prior to being burnt in an outdoor fire (≤750 °C bone temperature). Fresh (fleshed) tibiae acted as unburnt and burnt controls. Also included in the study were two cremated human bone fragments from Middle-Late Neolithic (ca. 3300-2500 BCE) Ireland. Samples were analyzed for major and trace elements using an electron microprobe wavelength dispersive analyzer and molecular structures using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Linear regression, principal component analysis, linear discriminant analysis, and multivariate analysis of variance were performed for statistical analysis. Results indicate that the concentrations of elements associated with extracellular fluid (K, Na, and Cl) change with the postmortem interval (PMI) and survive burning. K values under 0.07 ± 0.01 wt% in the inner and mid-cortical zones of burnt bones suggest that bones were not burnt immediately after death. Using this criterion, results from the archaeological samples would indicate a PMI of at least weeks to months prior to cremation. Ca, P, Fe, Al, Si, and Sr are not significantly altered with burning, and Fe, Al, Si, and Sr are also unaffected by the PMI. In unburnt bones increased crystallinity and carbonate loss are detectable in <1 year, but both are obscured by burning. Structurally, the carbonate to phosphate ratio (C/P), the phosphate high temperature, and cyanamide to phosphate (CN/P) are the most useful ratios for discriminating between unburnt and burnt bones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emese I. Végh
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Nicholas Márquez-Grant
- Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Cranfield Forensic Institute, Cranfield University, Cranfield, Bedford, UK
| | - Rick J. Schulting
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
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15
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Bhadauria V, Parmar D, Ganguly R, Rathi AK, Kumar P. Exposure assessment of PM 2.5 in temple premises and crematoriums in Kanpur, India. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2022; 29:38374-38384. [PMID: 35075564 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-18739-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Regular use of incense and earthen lamps in temples leads to the release of particulate matter (PM), airborne flecks, and gaseous pollutants. Similarly, the cremation of dead bodies using timber and other accessories such as incense, organic chemicals containing carbon, and clothes generates air pollutants. It is currently unclear how much emissions and exposure these activities may lead. This work attempts to fill this gap in our understanding by assessing the associated emissions of PM2.5 and the corresponding exposure. Ten temples and two cremation grounds were considered for the sampling of PM2.5. The average PM2.5 concentration at the ten temples and the two crematoriums was found to be 658.30 ± 112.63 µg/m3 and 1043.50 ± 191.63 µg/m3, respectively. The range of real-time PM2.5 data obtained from the nearest twelve stations located in the vicinity was 113-191 µg/m3. The exposure assessment in terms of deposition dose was carried out using the ICRP model. The maximum and minimum total respiratory deposition dose rate for PM2.5 for temples was 175.75 µg/min and 101.15 µg/min, respectively. For crematoriums, the maximum and minimum value of same was 252.3 µg/min and 194.31 µg/min, respectively, for an exposure period of 10 min.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishal Bhadauria
- Department of Civil Engineering, Harcourt Butler Technical University, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208002, India
| | - Dipteek Parmar
- Department of Civil Engineering, Harcourt Butler Technical University, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208002, India.
| | - Rajiv Ganguly
- Department of Civil Engineering, Harcourt Butler Technical University, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208002, India
| | - Abhinav Kumar Rathi
- Department of Civil Engineering, Harcourt Butler Technical University, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208002, India
| | - Prashant Kumar
- Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, UK
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16
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Reiter SS, Møller NA, Nielsen BH, Bech JH, Olsen ALH, Jørkov MLS, Kaul F, Mannering U, Frei KM. Into the fire: Investigating the introduction of cremation to Nordic Bronze Age Denmark: A comparative study between different regions applying strontium isotope analyses and archaeological methods. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0249476. [PMID: 33979332 PMCID: PMC8115792 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in funerary practices are key to the understanding of social transformations of past societies. Over the course of the Nordic Bronze Age, funerary practices changed from inhumation to cremation. The aim of this study is to shed light on this fundamental change through a cross-examination of archaeometric provenance data and archaeological discussions of the context and layouts of early cremation graves. To this end, we conducted 19 new provenance analyses of strontium isotopes from Early Nordic Bronze age contexts in Thisted County and Zealand and Late Bronze Age contexts from Thisted County and Vesthimmerland (Denmark). These data are subsequently compared with data from other extant relevant studies, including those from Late Bronze Age Fraugde on the Danish island of Fyn. Overall, the variations within our provenience data suggest that the integration and establishment of cremation may not have had a one-to-one relationship with in-migration to Nordic Bronze Age Denmark. Moreover, there seems to be no single blanket scenario which dictated the uptake of cremation as a practice within this part of Southern Scandinavia. By addressing habitus in relation to the deposition of cremations as juxtaposed with these provenance data¸ we hypothesize several potential pathways for the uptake of cremation as a new cultural practice within the Danish Nordic Bronze Age and suggest that this may have been a highly individual process, whose tempo may have been dictated by the specificities of the region(s) concerned.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha S. Reiter
- Department of Environmental Archaeology and Materials Science, The National Museum of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby (Brede), Denmark
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Flemming Kaul
- Department of Ancient Cultures of Denmark and the Mediterranean, The National Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ulla Mannering
- Department of Ancient Cultures of Denmark and the Mediterranean, The National Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Karin M. Frei
- Department of Environmental Archaeology and Materials Science, The National Museum of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby (Brede), Denmark
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17
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Veselka B, Locher H, de Groot JCMJ, Davies GR, Snoeck C, Kootker LM. Strontium isotope ratios related to childhood mobility: Revisiting sampling strategies of the calcined human pars petrosa ossis temporalis. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 2021; 35:e9038. [PMID: 33370492 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.9038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Strontium isotope analysis can be applied to the calcined human otic capsule in the petrous part (pars petrosa ossis temporalis; PP) to gain information on childhood mobility in archaeological and forensic contexts. However, only a thin layer of the otic capsule, the inner cortex, demonstrates virtually no remodelling. This paper proposes an improved sampling method for the accurate sampling of the inner cortex of the otic capsule to ensure that 87 Sr/86 Sr ratios related to early childhood are obtained. METHODS Calcined rib and diaphyseal fragments and PP from ten cremation deposits are sampled for strontium isotope analysis, whereby our improved sampling strategy is applied to sample the inner cortex of the otic capsule. This allows inter- and intraskeletal 87 Sr/86 Sr comparison within an Iron Age collection from Oss, The Netherlands. RESULTS Forty percent (4/10) of the calcined PP that were evaluated for this study show marked differences in 87 Sr/86 Sr (0.00035-0.00065) between the inner cortex and the bone sample surrounding this layer, the external cortex that has higher remodelling rates. Differences in 87 Sr/86 Sr between various skeletal elements also aided in the identification of the minimum number of individuals. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates the problematic nature of the external cortex and stresses the need for a precise sampling method of the correct areas of the otic capsule. This can only be obtained by cutting the calcined PP midmodiolarly to enable adequate combustion degree assessment, and the correct identification and sampling of the inner cortex of the otic capsule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Veselka
- Maritime Cultures Research Institute, Department of Arts, Sciences, and Archaeology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
| | - Heiko Locher
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands
| | - John C M J de Groot
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands
| | - Gareth R Davies
- Geology and Geochemistry Cluster, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Co van Ledden Hulsebosch Center (CLHC), The Netherlands
| | - Christophe Snoeck
- Maritime Cultures Research Institute, Department of Arts, Sciences, and Archaeology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
- Analytical, Environmental and Geo-Chemistry Research Unit, Department of Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
- G-time Laboratory, Department of Geoscience, Environment, and Society, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Lisette M Kootker
- Geology and Geochemistry Cluster, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Co van Ledden Hulsebosch Center (CLHC), The Netherlands
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18
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Baj J, Ciesielka M, Buszewicz G, Maciejewski R, Budzyńska B, Listos P, Teresiński G. COVID-19 in the autopsy room-requirements, safety, recommendations and pathological findings. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2021; 17:101-113. [PMID: 33394313 PMCID: PMC7780078 DOI: 10.1007/s12024-020-00341-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Modern technologies enable the exchange of information about the expansion of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and the continually increasing number of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases almost in real time. The gravity of a current epidemiological situation is represented by the mortality rates, which are scrupulously updated daily. Performing autopsies on patients with either suspected or confirmed COVID-19 is of high importance since these might not only improve clinical management but also reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection expansion. The following paper aimed to present the most crucial aspects of SARS-CoV-2 infection from the point of view of forensic experts and pathologists, recommendations and safety precautions regarding autopsies, autopsy room requirements, possible techniques, examinations used for effective viral detection, recommendations regarding burials, and gross and microscopic pathological findings of the deceased who died due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Autopsies remain the gold standard for determining the cause of death. Therefore, it would be beneficial to perform autopsies on patients with both suspected and confirmed COVID-19, especially those with coexisting comorbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacek Baj
- Chair and Department of Anatomy, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
| | - Marzanna Ciesielka
- Chair and Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Buszewicz
- Chair and Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
| | - Ryszard Maciejewski
- Chair and Department of Anatomy, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
| | - Barbara Budzyńska
- Independent Laboratory of Behavioral Studies, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
| | - Piotr Listos
- Department and Clinic of Animal Internal Diseases, Sub-Department of Pathomorphology and ForensicMedicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lubin, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Teresiński
- Chair and Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
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19
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Abstract
Covid-19 has reached almost all the nations in the world. More and more people are dying from it and in some countries, even the army has been called upon to help dispose of the dead as there is a shortage of coffins, and undertakers are overwhelmed. Therefore, it is essential to have measures in place to contain the spread of infection while handling dead bodies. In view of this, different guidelines and protocols have been proposed bearing in mind the limited information we have about the virus. This review article sets them out for better reference.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Irena Duskova
- Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Bulovka Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | | | - Parthasarathi Pramanik
- Institute of Forensic Science and Legal Medicine, Government of Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica
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20
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Abstract
This paper applies social justice frameworks to "cemetery systems," which here denotes the framework by which each nation state orders the disposal of the dead, and which generally includes burial, cremation and the interment or scattering of cremated remains. An application of social justice theory indicates the desirability of certain key principles for all cemetery systems: decent disposal as a human right; democratic accountability; equality of access to services regardless of income; freedom of religious expression; and environmental sustainability. Achieving these principles is not necessarily straightforward, and conflict between principles is heightened by financialization and population densification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Rugg
- Social Policy and Social Work, University of York, Heslington, UK
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21
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Festa G, Andreani C, Baldoni M, Cipollari V, Martínez-Labarga C, Martini F, Rickards O, Rolfo MF, Sarti L, Volante N, Senesi R, Stasolla FR, Parker SF, Vassalo AR, Mamede AP, Batista de Carvalho LAE, Marques MPM. First analysis of ancient burned human skeletal remains probed by neutron and optical vibrational spectroscopy. Sci Adv 2019; 5:eaaw1292. [PMID: 31259242 PMCID: PMC6598762 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw1292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Burned skeletal remains are abundant in archaeological and paleontological sites, the result of fire or of ancient funerary practices. In the burning process, the bone matrix suffers structural and dimensional changes that interfere with the reliability of available osteometric methods. Recent studies showed that these macroscopic changes are accompanied by microscopic variations are reflected in vibrational spectra. An innovative integrated approach to the study of archaeological combusted skeletal remains is reported here, where the application of complementary vibrational spectroscopic techniques-INS (inelastic neutron scattering), FTIR (Fourier transform infrared), and micro-Raman-enables access to the complete vibrational profile and constitutes the first application of neutron spectroscopy to ancient bones. Comparison with data from modern human bones that were subjected to controlled burning allowed identification of specific heating conditions. This pioneering study provides archaeologists and anthropologists with relevant information on past civilizations, including regarding funerary, burial, and cooking practices and environmental settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- G. Festa
- CENTRO FERMI–Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche “Enrico Fermi”, Piazza del Viminale 1, 00184 Rome, Italy
| | - C. Andreani
- CENTRO FERMI–Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche “Enrico Fermi”, Piazza del Viminale 1, 00184 Rome, Italy
- Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”–Dipartimento di Fisica, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”–Centro NAST, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome Italy
| | - M. Baldoni
- Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”–Dipartimento di Biologia, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”–Dipartimento di Biomedicina e Prevenzione, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - V. Cipollari
- Soprintendenza Archeologica, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per l’area metropolitana di Roma, la provincia di Viterbo e l’Etruria meridionale, Via Cavalletti 2, 00186 Rome, Italy
| | - C. Martínez-Labarga
- Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”–Centro NAST, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome Italy
- Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”–Dipartimento di Biologia, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - F. Martini
- Università degli Studi di Firenze–Dipartimento di Storia, Archeologia, Geografia, Arte e Spettacolo, Via S. Gallo 10, 50129 Florence, Italy
| | - O. Rickards
- Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”–Centro NAST, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome Italy
- Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”–Dipartimento di Biologia, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - M. F. Rolfo
- Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”–Dipartimento di Storia, Patrimonio culturale, Formazione e Società, Via Columbia 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - L. Sarti
- Università di Siena–Dipartimento di Scienze Storiche dei Beni Culturali, Via Val di Montone 4–Via Roma 56, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - N. Volante
- Università di Siena–Dipartimento di Scienze Storiche dei Beni Culturali, Via Val di Montone 4–Via Roma 56, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - R. Senesi
- CENTRO FERMI–Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche “Enrico Fermi”, Piazza del Viminale 1, 00184 Rome, Italy
- Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”–Dipartimento di Fisica, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”–Centro NAST, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome Italy
| | - F. R. Stasolla
- Sapienza Università di Roma–Dipartimento di Scienze dell’Antichità, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - S. F. Parker
- ISIS Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
| | - A. R. Vassalo
- University of Coimbra–Unidade de I&D “Química-Física Molecular”, Department of Chemistry, Coimbra 3004-535, Portugal
| | - A. P. Mamede
- University of Coimbra–Unidade de I&D “Química-Física Molecular”, Department of Chemistry, Coimbra 3004-535, Portugal
| | - L. A. E. Batista de Carvalho
- University of Coimbra–Unidade de I&D “Química-Física Molecular”, Department of Chemistry, Coimbra 3004-535, Portugal
| | - M. P. M. Marques
- University of Coimbra–Unidade de I&D “Química-Física Molecular”, Department of Chemistry, Coimbra 3004-535, Portugal
- University of Coimbra–Department of Life Sciences, Coimbra 3000-456, Portugal
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22
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Abstract
There are few studies on interment preferences and practices for people in remote and rural regions of developed countries. This mixed methods study in rural Australia collated data on funeral and interment practices with an ethnographic exploration of the post-death preferences of terminally-ill rural residents. In the region, between February 2015 and May 2016, 44% of decedents were cremated. Burial preferences reflected family traditions, generational connections to historic cemeteries, and the wish to instantiate belonging to people and place. Cremation provided the opportunity for ashes to be scattered at personally-significant places. Funeral planning was important for patients and family caregivers, and funerals are valued rural community rituals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne Rainsford
- Medical School, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | | | - Rod D MacLeod
- HammondCare, Greenwich, NSW, Australia
- School of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Donna M Wilson
- Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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23
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Abstract
This case report describes contamination of crematory equipment with lutetium Lu 177 after cremation of a patient with a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor treated with the radioisotope 2 days prior to his death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Y. Yu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - William G. Rule
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Terence T. Sio
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, Arizona
| | | | - Kevin L. Nelson
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, Arizona
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24
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Grupe G, Klaut D, Mauder M, Kröger P, Lang A, Mayr C, Söllner F. Multi-isotope provenancing of archaeological skeletons including cremations in a reference area of the European Alps. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 2018; 32:1711-1727. [PMID: 29949218 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Revised: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Due to the spatial heterogeneity of stable isotope ratios of single elements measured in attempts to georeference bioarchaeological finds, multi-isotope fingerprints are frequently employed under the assumption that similar isotopic signatures are indicative of similar shared environments by the individuals studied. The extraction of the spatial information from multi-isotope datasets, however, is challenging. METHODS Gaussian mixture clustering of six- to seven-dimensional isotopic fingerprints measured in archaeological animal and human bones was performed. Uncremated animal bones served for an isotopic mapping of a specific reference area of eminent archaeological importance, namely the Inn-Eisack-Adige passage across the European Alps. The fingerprints consist of 87 Sr/86 Sr, 208 Pb/204 Pb, 207 Pb/204 Pb, 206 Pb/204 Pb, 208 Pb/207 Pb, and 206 Pb/207 Pb ratios, and δ18 Ophosphate values in uncremated bone apatite, while the thermally unstable δ18 O values of human cremations from this region were discarded. RESULTS The bone finds were successfully decontaminated. Animal and human isotope clusters not only reflect individual similarities in the multi-isotopic fingerprints, but also permit a spatial allocation of the finds. This holds also for cremated finds where the δ18 Ophosphate value is no longer informative. To our knowledge, for the first time Pb stable isotopes have been systematically studied in cremated skeletal remains and proved significant in a region that was sought after for its ore deposits in prehistory. CONCLUSIONS Gaussian mixture clustering is a promising method for the interpretation of multi-isotopic fingerprints aiming at detecting and quantifying migration and trade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gisela Grupe
- Biozentrum, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany
| | - Dominika Klaut
- Biozentrum, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany
| | - Markus Mauder
- Lehrstuhl für Datenbanksysteme und Data Mining, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany
| | - Peer Kröger
- Lehrstuhl für Datenbanksysteme und Data Mining, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany
| | - Amei Lang
- Vor- und Frühgeschichtliche Archäologie und Provinzialrömische Archäologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany
| | - Christoph Mayr
- Institut für Geographie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
- Department für Geo- und Umweltwissenschaften, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany
| | - Frank Söllner
- Department für Geo- und Umweltwissenschaften, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany
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25
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Xue Y, Cheng L, Chen X, Zhai X, Wang W, Zhang W, Bai Y, Tian H, Nie L, Zhang S, Wei T. Emission characteristics of harmful air pollutants from cremators in Beijing, China. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0194226. [PMID: 29718907 PMCID: PMC5931459 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The process of corpse cremation generates numerous harmful air pollutants, including particulate matter (PM), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and heavy metals. These pollutants could have severe effects on the surrounding environment and human health. Currently, the awareness of the emission levels of harmful air pollutants from cremators and their emission characteristics is insufficient. In this study, we obtained the emission characteristics of flue gas from cremators in Beijing and determined the localized emission factors and emission levels of harmful air pollutants based on actual monitoring data from nine typical cremators. The results show that the emissions of air pollutants from the cremators that directly discharge flue gas exceed the emission standards of China and Beijing. The installation of a flue gas post-treatment system could effectively reduce gaseous pollutants and the emission levels of PM. After being equipped with a flue gas post-treatment system, the emission concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, CO, SO2 and VOCs from the cremators are reduced by 97.6, 99.2, 19.6, 85.2 and 70.7%, respectively. Moreover, the emission factors of TSP, PM10, PM2.5, CO, SO2 and VOCs are also reduced to 12.5, 9.3, 3.0, 164.1, 8.8 and 19.8 g/body. Although the emission concentration of VOCs from the cremators is not high, they are one of major sources of “odor” in the crematories and demand more attention. Benzene, a chemical that can seriously harm human health, constitutes the largest proportion (~50%) of the chemical components of VOCs in the flue gas from the cremators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifeng Xue
- National Engineering Research Center of Urban Environmental Pollution Control, Beijing Municipal Research Institute of Environmental Protection, Beijing, China
| | - Linglong Cheng
- National Engineering Research Center of Urban Environmental Pollution Control, Beijing Municipal Research Institute of Environmental Protection, Beijing, China
| | - Xi Chen
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Control of Ministry of Civil Affairs, 101 Institute of Ministry of Civil Affairs, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoman Zhai
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Control of Ministry of Civil Affairs, 101 Institute of Ministry of Civil Affairs, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Control of Ministry of Civil Affairs, 101 Institute of Ministry of Civil Affairs, Beijing, China
- * E-mail: (WW); (HT)
| | - Wenjie Zhang
- Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Bai
- Babaoshan funeral parlor, Beijing, China
| | - Hezhong Tian
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation & Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- * E-mail: (WW); (HT)
| | - Lei Nie
- National Engineering Research Center of Urban Environmental Pollution Control, Beijing Municipal Research Institute of Environmental Protection, Beijing, China
| | - Shihao Zhang
- National Engineering Research Center of Urban Environmental Pollution Control, Beijing Municipal Research Institute of Environmental Protection, Beijing, China
- College of Resource Environment and Tourism, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Tong Wei
- Babaoshan funeral parlor, Beijing, China
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Calais PJ. Gaussian plume atmospheric modelling and radiation exposure calculations following the cremation of a deceased thyroid cancer patient treated with iodine-131. J Radiol Prot 2017; 37:247-265. [PMID: 28169221 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6498/aa51e2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Shortly after treatment with 7200 MBq of 131I, a thyroid cancer patient died and was subsequently cremated. Calculations of the atmospheric emissions of 131I from the crematorium flue were performed using a standard atmospheric pollution Gaussian Plume Dispersal model. Estimates of whole-body and thyroid dose of those potentially exposed were made using OLINDA/EXM dosimetry software. Under the meteorological conditions prevalent at the time of the cremation, and depending on the actual release rate of the 131I, the Western Australian legal limit of 3.7 Bqm-3 for atmospheric emissions of 131I may have been exceeded for distances of up to 440 and 1610 m downwind of the crematorium chimney, with the maximum concentration being between 33 and 392 Bqm-3. Assuming 16% of the inhaled 131I was taken up in the thyroid with the balance in the remainder of the body, the radiation dose to maximally exposed individuals was calculated to be approximately 17.7 μSv to the thyroid and 0.04 μSv to the whole-body. Despite the maximum allowable atmospheric 131I concentration of 3.7 Bqm-3 being exceeded, as the number of people immediately downwind of the crematorium flue in the high concentration zones was very low, and considering the relatively high tolerable dose to the thyroid, the radiation dose to people was probably not a problem in this case. The local limit of 1000 MBq of 131I for the cremation of a deceased patient is reasonable, but with adequate precautions could be significantly increased without any harmful effects to people or the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillipe J Calais
- School of Physics, The University of Western Australia, Perth, 6009, Western Australia. Clinical Physics, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch, 6150, Western Australia
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Abstract
This article explores cremation and disposal practices in the Netherlands, focusing on the attitudes and experiences of bereaved Dutch people in relation to cremated remains. In academic and professional narratives, human ashes are commonly described as "important," as "sacred," and as a vehicle to continue intense and physical relationships with the dead. Based on quantitative and qualitative data this article illustrates the ambiguity of such relationships. It highlights the diverse experiences, unexpected challenges, and moral obligations that can be evoked by the deceased's ashes, where the latter are seen as embedded in material practices and entangled in social relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda Mathijssen
- a Department of Comparative Religion , Radboud University , Nijmegen , the Netherlands
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28
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Davis L. Letter to a Funeral Parlor. Acad Med 2016; 91:222. [PMID: 26813652 DOI: 10.1097/acm.0000000000001027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
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29
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Groninger H. Commentary on "Letter to a Funeral Parlor". Acad Med 2016; 91:223. [PMID: 26813653 DOI: 10.1097/01.acm.0000479942.13939.db] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hunter Groninger
- H. Groninger is director of palliative care, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC, and faculty affiliate, Center for Biomedical Ethics and Medical Humanities, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia; e-mail:
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Kurila L. The Accuracy of the Osteological Sexing of Cremated Human Remains: A Test Based on Grave Goods from East Lithuanian Barrows. Coll Antropol 2015; 39:821-828. [PMID: 26987148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The accuracy of the sex determination of cremated human remains is one of the vital parameters for archaeologists and skeletal anthropologists dealing with cremations. Few studies have so far aimed at testing it. In the present paper, the accuracy of the sexing techniques was assessed by paralleling biological sex (identified morphologically) to gender (presumed on the basis of the grave goods which accompanied the deceased). A collection of cremated bones from East Lithuanian barrows (c. fourth/fifth--eleventh/twelfth centuries AD) was employed. The fragmentary nature and poor state of the bones generally represents cremains from similar archaeological contexts. The database inevitably underwent several stages of filtration. Out of 364 cremations with a minimum of 445 individuals, only 157 were sexed single adult burials, of which only 81 had "gender-related" grave goods. The relationship of artefact type to gender was defined statistically, revising the results in line with the chronological and typological differences and the probable symbolism of the grave goods. Sex and gender coincided in 56 cases (69.14%), but a considerable distance between the results for both sexes was observed. Biological females displayed a fairly high match level, i.e. 35 out of the 41 (85.37%) individuals osteologically identified as females had been given "feminine" items. The burials of biological males, on the other hand, yielded a surprisingly low match rate, i.e. only 21 out of 40 (52.50%). This disparity suggests a possible misinterpretation of grave goods as gender markers, rather than (only?) erroneous sexing. It is thus argued that for females, the mean value for the accuracy of sexing is 85.5%. In most cases, such precision is entirely satisfactory for the analysis of a poorly-preserved osteological material. For males, however, the accuracy is likely to fall somewhere in the range between 52.5 and 85.5%, with the applied methodology so far failing to contribute to higher precision.
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Yin WH, Yu XW, Han JL, Feng GX, Fu JP, Yang YY, Ju YM, Zhang SK. [Emission of PCDD/Fs from Crematories and Its Influencing Factors]. Huan Jing Ke Xue 2015; 36:3596-3602. [PMID: 26841590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
To analysis the influencing factors for the emssions of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) as structure of crematory, air pollution control device (APCD) and funeral objects, etc, we collected and measured the PCDD/Fs emissions in flue gas from 13 crematories in China. Then we proposed some supervision suggestions on measures of pollution control and management. The results indicated that the emission levels of PCDD/Fs (as the toxic equivalent concentration, TEQ) was ranged in a large gap from 0.027 to 15.8 ng x m(-3), and the average was 3.2 ng x m(-3). Emissions factor of PCDD/Fs (as TEQ) from 13 crematories varied between 45.9 and 22 236 ng x body(-1), and the average was 4 738 ng x body(-1). The emissions of PCDD/Fs from flat incinerators were generally lower, whereas higher ratio up to the national discharge standard, than that of car type incinerators. Congener distribution of PCDD/Fs in flue gas from 13 crematories were different from each other. Since the emission of PCDD/Fs from some crematories remains in high level, it is necessary to control pollution from the source, improve the pollution control technology, and strengthen government supervision, by following measures: 11 cremating funeral objects separately from corpse; 22 adding one
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Xue YF, Yan J, Tian HZ, Xiong CC, Li JD, Wu XI, Wang W. [Situation and Characteristics of Air Pollutants Emission from Crematories in Beijing, China]. Huan Jing Ke Xue 2015; 36:1959-1965. [PMID: 26387295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) such as exhaust particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx), mercury (Hg) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzo-furans ( PCDD/Fs) are emitted by the process of cremation and the burning of oblation. Risks to health posed by emissions of hazardous air pollutants from crematories are emerging concerns. Through field investigation and data collection, we obtained the related activity levels and monitored the concentrations of air pollutants from typical cremators, so as to better understand the current pollutants emission levels for crematory. Using the emission factor method, we calculated the emission inventory of HAPs for crematory of Beijing in 2012 and quantified the range of uncertainty. Using atmospheric diffusion model ADMS, we evaluated the influence of crematories on the surrounding environment, and identified the characteristics of air pollution. The results showed that: for the cremators installed with flue gas purification system, the emission concentration of exhaust PM was rather low, and the CO emission concentration fluctuated greatly. However, relative high emission concentrations of PCDD/Fs were detected mainly due to insufficient combustion. Exhaust PM, CO, SO2, NOx, Hg and PCDD/Fs emitted by crematory of Beijing in 2012 were estimated at about 11. 5 tons, 41.25 tons, 2.34 tons, 7.65 tons, 13.76 kg and 0.88 g, respectively; According to the results of dispersion model simulation, the concentration contributions of exhaust PM, CO, SO2, NOx, Hg, PCDD/Fs from crematories were 0.05947 microg x m(-3), 0.2009 microg x m(-3) and 0.0126 microg x m(-3), 0.03667 microg x m(-3) and 0.06247 microg x m(-3), 0.004213 microg x m(-3), respectively.
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Gonçalves D, Thompson TJU, Cunha E. Sexual dimorphism of the lateral angle of the internal auditory canal and its potential for sex estimation of burned human skeletal remains. Int J Legal Med 2015; 129:1183-6. [PMID: 25649669 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-015-1154-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 01/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The potential of the petrous bone for sex estimation has been recurrently investigated in the past because it is very resilient and therefore tends to preserve rather well. The sexual dimorphism of the lateral angle of the internal auditory canal was investigated in two samples of cremated Portuguese individuals in order to assess its usefulness for sex estimation in burned remains. These comprised the cremated petrous bones from fleshed cadavers (N = 54) and from dry and disarticulated bones (N = 36). Although differences between males and females were more patent in the sample of skeletons, none presented a very significant sexual dimorphism, thus precluding any attempt of sex estimation. This may have been the result of a difficult application of the method and of a differential impact of heat-induced warping which is known to be less frequent in cremains from dry skeletons. Results suggest that the lateral angle method cannot be applied to burned human skeletal remains.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Gonçalves
- Research Centre for Anthropology and Health (CIAS), University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal,
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Snoeck C, Lee-Thorp J, Schulting R, de Jong J, Debouge W, Mattielli N. Calcined bone provides a reliable substrate for strontium isotope ratios as shown by an enrichment experiment. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 2015; 29:107-114. [PMID: 25462370 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.7078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2014] [Revised: 10/15/2014] [Accepted: 10/16/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Strontium isotopes ((87) Sr/(86) Sr) are used in archaeological and forensic science as markers of residence or mobility because they reflect the local geological substrate. Currently, tooth enamel is considered to be the most reliable tissue, but it rarely survives heating so that in cremations only calcined bone fragments survive. We set out to test the proposition that calcined bone might prove resistant to diagenesis, given its relatively high crystallinity, as the ability to measure in vivo (87) Sr/(86) Sr from calcined bone would greatly extend application to places and periods in which cremation was the dominant mortuary practice, or where unburned bone and enamel do not survive. METHODS Tooth enamel and calcined bone samples were exposed to a (87) Sr-spiked solution for up to 1 year. Samples were removed after various intervals, and attempts were made to remove the contamination using acetic acid washes and ultrasonication. (87) Sr/(86) Sr was measured before and after pre-treatment on a Nu Plasma multi-collector induced coupled plasma mass spectrometer using NBS987 as a standard. RESULTS The strontium isotopic ratios of all samples immersed in the spiked solution were strongly modified showing that significant amounts of strontium had been adsorbed or incorporated. After pre-treatment the enamel samples still contained significant amounts of (87) Sr-enriched contamination while the calcined bone fragments did not. CONCLUSIONS The results of the artificial enrichment experiment demonstrate that calcined bone is more resistant to post-mortem exchange than tooth enamel, and that in vivo strontium isotopic ratios are retained in calcined bone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Snoeck
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Dyson Perrins Building, South Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
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Harvig L, Frei KM, Price TD, Lynnerup N. Strontium isotope signals in cremated petrous portions as indicator for childhood origin. PLoS One 2014; 9:e101603. [PMID: 25010496 PMCID: PMC4091946 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2014] [Accepted: 06/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Dental enamel is currently of high informative value in studies concerning childhood origin and human mobility because the strontium isotope ratio in human dental enamel is indicative of geographical origin. However, many prehistoric burials involve cremation and although strontium retains its original biological isotopic composition, even when exposed to very high temperatures, intact dental enamel is rarely preserved in cremated or burned human remains. When preserved, fragments of dental enamel may be difficult to recognize and identify. Finding a substitute material for strontium isotope analysis of burned human remains, reflecting childhood values, is hence of high priority. This is the first study comparing strontium isotope ratios from cremated and non-cremated petrous portions with enamel as indicator for childhood origin. We show how strontium isotope ratios in the otic capsule of the petrous portion of the inner ear are highly correlated with strontium isotope ratios in dental enamel from the same individual, whether inhumed or cremated. This implies that strontium isotope ratios in the petrous bone, which practically always survives cremation, are indicative of childhood origin for human skeletal remains. Hence, the petrous bone is ideal as a substitute material for strontium isotope analysis of burned human remains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lise Harvig
- Laboratory of Biological Anthropology, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Karin Margarita Frei
- National Museum of Denmark, Conservation and Natural Sciences Department, and The Danish National Research Foundation’s Centre for Textile Research (CTR) Prinsens Palæ, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - T. Douglas Price
- Laboratory for Archaeological Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Niels Lynnerup
- Laboratory of Biological Anthropology, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- * E-mail:
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Alunni V, Grevin G, Buchet L, Quatrehomme G. Forensic aspect of cremations on wooden pyre. Forensic Sci Int 2014; 241:167-72. [PMID: 24949561 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2014.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2013] [Revised: 03/05/2014] [Accepted: 05/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Three cases of cremation on open-air pyres are described. One was classified as a suicide and two as homicides. Fire duration was estimated at approximately 1 h, close to 2 h and more than 3 h, respectively. The position of the remains, the colour alteration of bone and the burned bone fractures biomechanics are discussed. Knowledge of normal burn patterns in fire and detection of perimortem lesions are essential. These three cases highlight the specific thermal alterations and burning processes in accordance with fire duration. In each case, careful investigation yielded clues as to the manner of death. Close cooperation between law enforcement and forensic pathology investigators is required in order to correctly identify the circumstances of death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronique Alunni
- Laboratoire de Médecine Légale et d'Anthropologie médico-légale, Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis, Faculté de Médecine, 28 Avenue de Valombrose, 06107 Nice Cedex 2, France.
| | - Gilles Grevin
- CEPAM (Cultures et Environnements, Préhistoire, Antiquité, Moyen Âge), UMR7264-CNRS, Université Nice Sophia Antipolis, Campus Saint-Jean d'Angély 3, 24 Avenue des Diables Bleus, 06357 Nice Cedex 4, France.
| | - Luc Buchet
- CEPAM (Cultures et Environnements, Préhistoire, Antiquité, Moyen Âge), UMR7264-CNRS, Université Nice Sophia Antipolis, Campus Saint-Jean d'Angély 3, 24 Avenue des Diables Bleus, 06357 Nice Cedex 4, France.
| | - Gérald Quatrehomme
- Laboratoire de Médecine Légale et d'Anthropologie médico-légale, Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis, Faculté de Médecine, 28 Avenue de Valombrose, 06107 Nice Cedex 2, France.
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Cadle P. Incinerator helps out where a crematorium cannot tread. Nurs Stand 2014; 28:33. [PMID: 24749606 DOI: 10.7748/ns2014.04.28.34.33.s43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
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Takeda N, Takaoka M, Oshita K, Eguchi S. PCDD/DF and co-planar PCB emissions from crematories in Japan. Chemosphere 2014; 98:91-98. [PMID: 24238305 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.09.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2013] [Revised: 09/22/2013] [Accepted: 09/29/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Japan implemented dioxin emission guidelines for crematories in 2000, but the effects of the new guidelines have not been fully evaluated. In this study, concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDDs/DFs) and co-planar polychlorinated biphenyls (co-PCBs) were measured in flue gas, fly ash, and bottom ash (mainly bone) from several crematories as a follow-up investigation. Total concentrations (O2 12% normalized) of PCDDs/DFs and co-PCBs in flue gas ranged from 4.2 to 540 ng/mN(3), and toxic equivalent concentrations ranged from 0.000053 to 11 ng-TEQ/mN(3). Based on these measurements, the average emission factor was estimated to be 1400 ng-TEQ/body. This is approximately one-third the emission factor recorded in 1999. The emission factor distributions from 1999 and our study in 2007 were log-normally distributed. Emission factors were significantly lower in 2007 than in 1999, which suggests that the guidelines have been effective in reducing dioxin emissions. Meanwhile, toxic equivalent concentrations in fly ash ranged from 0.014 to 13 ng-TEQ g(-1). Higher dioxin concentrations in fly ash were observed in facilities that used a heat exchanger as a flue-gas cooling device. Because the concentrations of PCDDs/DFs and co-PCBs in flue gas were also elevated after heat exchangers during the investigation of PCDD/DF- and co-PCB-removal behaviors, secondary formation of PCDDs/DFs and co-PCBs on heat exchanger surfaces unambiguously occurred.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuo Takeda
- 173, Nishiyurugi, Takashima, Shiga 520-1212, Japan
| | - Masaki Takaoka
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Cluster C, Kyoto daigaku-Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8540, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Oshita
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Cluster C, Kyoto daigaku-Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8540, Japan.
| | - Shoji Eguchi
- Taiyo Chikuro Industries, Co., Ltd., 6-21, Higashi-kouen, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka 812-0045, Japan
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Charlier P, Brun L, Pantano W, Catalano P, Augias A, Huynh-Charlier I. An incomplete fatal trepanation diagnosed on cremation remains (Rome, Italy, 2nd c. AD). Acta Med Hist Adriat 2014; 12:315-320. [PMID: 25811689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND An original case of incomplete (and reasonably fatal) human trepanation is described in this short paper. The diagnosis was made on the cremated remains of a young adult individual who died in Rome, Italy during the 2nd century AD. CLINICAL PRESENTATION The trepanation was incomplete, as death occurred quickly due to vascular lesions, according to the anatomic analysis of the bone piece. Comparable trepanation from Roman times are described and related to this case. CONCLUSION Even if archaeological, this case highlights the possibility of such a diagnosis on post-fire fragmented bones. Very suggestive lesions of section are of great interest for the history of such a practice during classical Antiquity. Lastly, from a medical and forensic point of view, such a diagnosis may be of interest during any identification process and research for a cause of death during anthropological analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Charlier
- Section of Medical and Forensic Anthropology, Montigny-Le-Bretonneux, France. Department of Pathology, University Hospital, Parakou, Benin.
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Gonçalves D, Cunha E, Thompson TJU. Weight references for burned human skeletal remains from Portuguese samples. J Forensic Sci 2013; 58:1134-1140. [PMID: 23822840 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.12167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2012] [Revised: 06/22/2012] [Accepted: 07/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Weight is often one of the few recoverable data when analyzing human cremains but references are still rare, especially for European populations. Mean weights for skeletal remains were thus documented for Portuguese modern cremations of both recently deceased individuals and dry skeletons, and the effect of age, sex, and the intensity of combustion was investigated using both multivariate and univariate statistics. The cremains from fresh cadavers were significantly heavier than the ones from dry skeletons regardless of sex and age cohort (p < 0.001 to p = 0.003). As expected, males were heavier than females and age had a powerful effect in female skeletal weight. The effect of the intensity of combustion in cremains weight was unclear. These weight references may, in some cases, help estimating the minimum number of individuals, the completeness of the skeletal assemblage, and the sex of an unknown individual.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Gonçalves
- Research Centre for Anthropology and Health (CIAS), Universidade de Coimbra, Rua do Arco da Traição, Coimbra, 3000-056, Portugal
- Forensic Sciences Centre (CENCIFOR), Largo da Sé Nova, Coimbra, 3000-213, Portugal
- Laboratório de Arqueociências, Direção-Geral do Património Cultural and LARC/CIBIO/InBIO, Rua da Bica do Marquês 2, Lisboa, 1300-087, Portugal
| | - Eugénia Cunha
- Forensic Sciences Centre (CENCIFOR), Largo da Sé Nova, Coimbra, 3000-213, Portugal
| | - Tim J U Thompson
- School of Science & Engineering, Teesside University, Borough Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BA, U.K
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Proctor I, Winstanley A. Completing cremation forms: a practical guide. Br J Hosp Med (Lond) 2013; 74:C114-C117. [PMID: 23959037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ian Proctor
- Clinical Lecturer and Honorary Specialist Registrar in Histopathology, University College London Hospital, London
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Abstract
This paper offers an analysis of women's performance of unsafe abortion in rural Ghana despite significant cultural sanctions that forbid the practice. Findings demonstrate how women in the study balance sanctions inherent in traditional belief structures against their own immediate physical and social best interests. In rural Ghana, a woman's body is not always her own to do with as she would wish. It is also a social body, which is embedded in multiple sets of relationships and subject to social regulation. Traditional authority over a woman's body belongs not only to the community elders in the immediate physical environment of the village but also extends beyond time and space to immaterial ancestral persons who watch over the actions and behaviours of those on earth. Authority resides also with Mawu, the Ewe God, who is offended by the practice of abortion. Data from this study reveal that the performance of unsafe abortion in this Ewe community is a desperate act in which the women must not only risk their physical lives, but must also step outside the boundaries of ideological cultural conformity to traditional values and carry the risk of their actions even into life after death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Webster
- Department of Anthropology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
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Abstract
Particulate matter (PM) has long been recognized as an air pollutant due to its adverse health and environmental impacts. As emission of PM from agricultural operations is an emerging air quality issue, the Agricultural Particulate Matter Emissions Indicator (APMEI) has been developed to estimate the primary PM contribution to the atmosphere from agricultural operations on Census years and to assess the impact of practices adopted to mitigate these emissions at the soil landscape polygon scale as part of the agri-environmental indicator report series produced by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. In the APMEI, PM emissions from animal feeding operations, wind erosion, land preparation, crop harvest, fertilizer and chemical application, grain handling, and pollen were calculated and compared for the Census years of 1981-2006. In this study, we present the results for PM10 and PM2.5, which exclude chemical application and pollen sources as they only contribute to total suspended particles. In 2006, PM emissions from agricultural operations were estimated to be 652.6 kt for PM10 and 158.1 kt for PM2.5. PM emissions from wind erosion and land preparation account for most of PM emissions from agricultural operations in Canada, contributing 82% of PM10 and 76% of PM2.5 in 2006. Results from the APMEI show a strong reduction in PM emissions from agricultural operations between 1981 and 2006, with a decrease of 40% (442.8 kt) for PM10 and 47% (137.7 kt) for PM2.5. This emission reduction is mainly attributed to the adoption of conservation tillage and no-till practices and the reduction in the area of summer fallow land.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Pattey
- Research Branch, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
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Berketa J, James H, Marino V. A pilot study in the recovery and recognition of non-osseointegrated dental implants following cremation. J Forensic Odontostomatol 2011; 29:38-44. [PMID: 22717912 PMCID: PMC5734856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Minimal dimensional changes in free standing dental implants when incinerated in a kiln to a temperature of 1125°C have been reported previously. However, in the same study colour changes were observed between commercially pure titanium and titanium alloy type of implants, with speculation that this change may be a useful distinguishing tool in cases requiring forensic identification. The present study was instigated to determine what changes occur following cremation to bone-supported dental implants placed within mandibles of sheep. A selection of dental implants was photographed and radiographed. They were then surgically placed in sheep mandibles and the entire sheep heads cremated in a commercial cremator. There was detachment of the dental implants from the mandible, which could have implications for scene recovery. Following retrieval and re-irradiating of the implants, image subtraction evaluation of the radiographs was recorded using Adobe(®) Photoshop.(®) As with the previous study there was slight oxidation of the implant surfaces leading to minor alteration of the images. There was, however, no gold crust colour change in the commercially pure titanium. Photography within the retrieved implants revealed the batch number within the Straumann™ implant was still visible, which could significantly add weight to the identification of deceased persons.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Berketa
- Forensic Odontology Unit, School of Dentistry, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
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Abstract
The influence of heat-induced shrinkage on the osteometric sexual dimorphism of human skeletons is still poorly known. In order to investigate this issue, a sample composed of 84 Portuguese individuals cremated at a modern crematorium was examined using standard measurements from the femur, the talus and the calcaneus. In addition, sex determination of the sample was attempted by using osteometric standards developed from the Coimbra collection of identified skeletons. This was carried out to assess the extent of the effect of heat-induced shrinkage on the correct classification of known-sex skeletons while using standards developed on unburned skeletons. Results demonstrated that sexual dimorphism was still observable in the sample of calcined bones despite shrinkage. However, the application of conventional osteometric standards was unsuccessful. As expected, shrinkage caused most females to be correctly classified according to sex, but the sex allocation of males was very poor for all standard measurements. The results were obtained on a small sample but suggest that univariate metric techniques specifically developed for calcined bones may be valuable for sex determination. This would bring new methodological possibilities for biological anthropology and would enlarge the set of techniques regarding sex determination of burned skeletal remains.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Gonçalves
- Research Centre for Anthropology and Health (CIAS), Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal.
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Abstract
Social workers must be instrumental in educating elders and their families to make informed decisions about death and dying. As part of a larger qualitative study, we explored attitudes about cremation of 25 older and 25 middle-aged adults, evenly split between Black and White respondents. Major themes emerged about disposition of the body after death. Costs and land conservation influenced support for cremation; reasons against cremation include religious beliefs, lack of closure, and sense of place. Additionally, some respondents were against cremation primarily because of lack of exposure, as it was not their family tradition, suggesting a role for education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne P Glass
- Institute of Gerontology, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA.
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LOPER VV. Religion and cremation. Rep Proc Cremation Assoc Am 2011; 28:65-71. [PMID: 20261968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
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48
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Abstract
In recent years, the cremation ratio of cadavers has increased dramatically in many countries. Crematories have been identified as sources of various environmental pollutants, being polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), and mercury those raising most concern. In contrast to other incineration processes for which the number of studies on their toxic emissions is considerable, references related to PCDD/F and mercury emissions from crematories and their health risks are very limited. In this paper, the scientific information concerning these issues, using the databases PubMed, Scopus and Scirus, is reviewed. Results show that in comparison with PCDD/F emissions from other sources, those corresponding to crematories are significantly lower, while those of mercury should not be underrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Montse Mari
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, IISPV, "Rovira i Virgili" University, Sant Llorens 21, 43201 Reus, Catalonia, Spain; Environmental Engineering Laboratory, ETSEQ, "Rovira i Virgili" University, Av. Països Catalans 26, 43007 Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - José L Domingo
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, IISPV, "Rovira i Virgili" University, Sant Llorens 21, 43201 Reus, Catalonia, Spain.
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Abstract
Informed consent needs to be practised within a culture of openness if it is to enhance public trust in medical procedures around death. Openness should entail patients not just receiving information from doctors, but also having the right to see certain medical procedures. This article proposes in particular that it would be desirable for the public to be allowed to attend an autopsy of a person they do not know. Evidence from the UK, where members of the public may go backstage to witness the process of cremation, the other technical process in which dead bodies are violently but legitimately assaulted, suggests benefits from a policy of openness. When a family consents to cremation in Britain, their consent is only minimally informed, but the system has nothing to hide, and trust is high. This suggests that the opportunity for lay people also to witness certain medical procedures might do more to restore public trust in medical procedures around death than a narrow interpretation of informed consent in which information is controlled by the profession.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Walter
- Department of Social & Policy Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
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GIERSDORF P. [OBSERVATIONS ON CREMATION]. Z Gesamte Hyg 1964; 10:17-27. [PMID: 14291336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
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