Bio Cremation Alkaline Hydrolysis Rachel Wall Environmental - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Bio‐Cremation

Alkaline Hydrolysis

Rachel Wall Environmental Specialist Bureau of Environmental Services

September 2018

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Outline

• Final Disposition Methods
• Traditional Burial, Fire Cremation, Bio‐cremation
• Process & Environmental Impacts
• Alkaline Hydrolysis
• Chemistry & History
• Portland Bio‐Cremation Facility
• Sampling, pretreatment and permitting
• Questions?

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Burial

• Highest Environmental

Impact

• High Resource Demand
• 1.6M tons concrete
• 90,000 tons steel
• 30,000 tons wood

Highest Consumer Cost $7‐10,000 avg

• 50% of Funeral Rites
• Slow Rate of

Decomposition

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Embalming Fluid

Formaldehyde + Glutaraldehyde + Methanol + Dye + Other Solvents

• Preserves Tissue
• Slows Decomposition
• US 5.3M gallons

annually

• 800,000 gallons

leach annually

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Fire Cremation Process

• Natural Gas Oven
• 1800 F for 2‐4 hrs
• 92 cubic meters
• 29 kW‐h electricity
• 700lbs of CO2

emissions

• Vaporized Metals
• Dioxins
• Halogenated

Hydrocarbons

Cremulator

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Fire Cremation ‐ Remains

• Dental Amalgam
• 50% Mercury
• Silver, Tin, Copper
• Most metals not

re‐usable

• Removal before

processing could lessen amount released

Dental Metals

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Bio‐Cremation – Alkaline Hydrolysis

Alkali + Heat + H20 + Pressure

• Breaks Bonds
• Destroys Pathogens & Prions, Genetic

Material, Toxic Chemicals

• Originated in late 1800s
• Dead Livestock Nitrogen Rich Fertilizer
• Disposal of Research Animals
• NRC Standard 10CFR20 (Disposal by Release to

Sanitary Sewer)

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Alkaline Hydrolysis – History

• Late 1800s – Dead Livestock Fertilizer
• 1900s – 10CFR20 Disposal of Research Animals
• 1990 – Findings on how to inactivate CJD
• 1993 – Hot Alkali Destroyed Prions
• 1995 – Mad Cow (BSE) Outbreak
• 2005 – Mayo Clinic
• 2011 – AH Commercially

Available in FL

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Mad Cow (BSE)

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)

• Fatal Neurological Disease
• Sponge‐like legions on brain
• Spread by infected meat in cattle feed
• Incubation several years
• Creutzfeldt‐Jakob Disease (vCJD) in Humans
• Contracted by eating meat infected w/BSE
• Prion Caused Disease – Folded protein

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Bio‐Cremation – Alkaline Hydrolysis

• AKA Chemical

Cremation, Water Cremation, Aquamation

• Water: 95% @90‐

100 gallons

• Alkali: 5%
• Heat: @300 F
• Time: 3‐5 hrs

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Bio‐Cremation ‐ Process

Steel Basket Inside Chamber

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Bio‐Cremation ‐ Remains

Medical Implants

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Bio‐Cremation Remains

Bio-Cremation Flame Cremation

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Bio‐Cremation ‐ Effluent

• Humans mostly H20
• Sugars & Fats
• Nucleic Acids
• Amino Acids
• Build Proteins
• <300 gals/cycle
• Simple Organic

Compounds

• Calcium Phosphate

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Initial Sample & Pretreatment Concerns

(NaOH + KOH) + H20

• BOD: 56,800mg/L
• TSS 180mg/L
• pH 12.2
• High Zinc & Copper
• Frequency of

Discharge

• FOG/Saponification
• Active Process Areas

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Saponification

Triglyceride + (NaOH and KOH) Glycerol + Crude Soap

• Ester Hydrolysis Reaction
• NaOH = Hard Soap
• Lower cost
• KOH = Soft Liquid Soap
• Lubricant and detergent

in sewer

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Course of Action

• Stop Discharging
• Clean Tank & Equipment
• Replace Brass Spigot

w/Stainless Steel

• Prohibit NaOH (KOH only)
• Increase co‐flush H20
• pH Neutralization of 7
• Resample

Sample Port pH Adjust Discharge

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Facility Resample & Findings

Resample

• BOD: 12,200 mg/L
• TSS: 8,240 mg/L
• pH: 6.7
• Zinc & Copper below

limits

• No O/G method

works for soap (fat)

• No solids separator

Effluent Resample

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Bio‐Cremation ‐ Permitting

Best Management Practices (BMP) based permit

• Detailed O&M Plan
• NaOH restriction
• pH adjustment w/mixing for distribution
• 5.0 – 11.5
• Annual Reporting
• Batch and pH logs
• Waste hauling logs
• Outdoor Monitoring Access Structure

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Additional Considerations

Variations in Machines and Methods

• Less caustic & Longer

Exposure Time

• More Caustic & Less

Time

• Less Caustic with

Agitation Effluent Resample

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Cremation Type Comparison Bio‐Cremation

• $300,000 ‐ $500,000
• No air permit
• Consumes 1/8th the

energy of flame

• Medical implants

are recyclable

• Effluent can be used

as fertilizer

Flame Cremation

• Start at $150,000
• Air permit required
• Vaporized Metals
• 700lbs CO2 per

deceased person

• Toxic waste residue

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Questions?

Rachel Wall Rachel.Wall@PortlandOregon.gov City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services