What is animal aquamation?

Aquamation is an environmentally friendly alternative to cremation or burial. It uses water to return the pet back to nature (the process of hydrolysis), since pets and humans are already made up of 65% water.

How much does an aquamation machine cost?

There are no restrictions on who can buy an aquamation machine, which at Bio-Response are priced from $60,000 (sized to accommodate a single pet) to $200,000 (able to hold bodies weighing 4,000 pounds in total).

What is left after aquamation?

So, all that remains at the end of an aquamation is water, bones and dust. What Can be Done with the Remains – Aquamation ashes are very similar to remains left after a standard cremation, so they can be treated like standard cremation ashes.

What is private aquamation?

A communal aquamation means the ashes will not be returned to families. Private aquamation means your pet’s ashes will be returned to you. Private chambers reside within the machine providing a complete barrier among individual pets.

What happens during aquamation?

With aquamation, or “alkaline hydrolysis”, the body of the deceased is immersed for three to four hours in a mixture of water and a strong alkali, such as potassium hydroxide, in a pressurised metal cylinder and heated to around 150C.

Why is alkaline hydrolysis illegal?

A 2010 bill to legalize alkaline hydrolysis in California failed, as reported by the Los Angeles Times, largely due to concerns over lack of data about how the liquid waste it creates might affect aging sewer pipes and employees’ health at crematoria—safety concerns that Fisher says he has addressed after years of …

Where is aquamation legal in the US?

(For Canada, see this aquamation status table.) Aqumation technology is allowable for use on pets in all U.S. states (as well as Washington D.C.) and in all Canadian provinces and territories. Colorado legalized alkaline hydrolysis in 2011 when it changed its definition of cremation.

What happens to the skeleton in aquamation?

The heat, pressure and solution work together to break down the body, leaving only the bones. The body slowly dissolves, and the bones, once removed from the chamber, crushed into ash and returned to the family just like in a traditional cremation.

How long does it take to aquamation a body?

How long does the Aquamation process take? The process takes 6-8 hours, or 18-20 hours depending on the operating temperature of the equipment. The 6-8 hour process takes place at 300°F, and the 18-20 hour process takes places at 200°F. A flame cremation, for comparison, takes 1-3 hours and takes place at 1600-1800°F.

Is aquamation better than cremation?

Aquamation Is More Environment-Friendly Than Cremation Crematoriums generate high heat, and it can go upto 1400 and 2100 degrees Fahrenheit, i.e., break down the body’s tissues and decompose it. This process also releases a few harmful emissions into the environment.

Where does the water go after aquamation?

What happens to the water in the Aquamation process? The water is returned to the ecosystem via the normal wastewater treatment facility, just as all funeral homes in the United States, Canada, and many other parts of the world do during the embalming process.

Are human ashes acidic or alkaline?

It seems logical that ashes from cremated remains would be beneficial to plants, but in truth, cremains have a high alkaline and sodium content that is anything but beneficial. Both the high pH levels and excess sodium discourage plant growth by prohibiting absorption of the essential nutrients they require.

What states allow aquamation for humans?

States Where Aquamation is Regulated and Allowed

• California.
• Colorado.
• Florida.
• Georgia.
• Idaho.
• Illinois.
• Kansas.
• Maine.

Why is water cremation illegal?

Legal roadblocks and cultural concerns have plagued water cremation since its inception. And there’s a simple reason for that: Alkaline hydrolysis has a reputation shaped by years of misrepresentation. Nobody wants to feel like they’re disrespecting their loved ones.