Cremation occurs at such a hot temperature all micro-organisms are destroyed, and the remaining ashes are inert. After cremation there are no public health risks associated with handling ashes.
The average cremated adult will produce about five pounds of pulverized bone fragments, a coarse powder that is sterile and safe to touch, even if the person died of a communicable disease.
The most common question that people have is whether ashes are safe to touch. The simple answer is yes, but it is still important to know what comprises ashes so that you know what exactly you are coming in contact with. Traditional flame-based cremation produces a pale, gray powder that contains bone fragments.
Is Touching Cremated Ashes Safe? Human ashes are in no way toxic if they make contact with the skin and it is safe to touch cremains. The cremation process doesn't involve any chemicals or release toxins into the cremains - remember, they are mostly composed of bones ground down to a small grain.
Use the vessel or your hands to scatter the ashes. Many people also wonder, “How do you scatter ashes?” Most often you can use the vessel that houses the ashes to toss them into the air. If you are comfortable handling the ashes yourself, you may also reach in with your hands to throw them.
A common question that we find in the cremation diamond industry is do ashes have an expiration date? The short answer is they don't; at least not in our lifetime. It would take around one million years for ashes to dissolve since they are made solely of inorganic material.
Your loved one's ashes don't have to stay together either. Families can choose to split the ashes of the deceased among the wider family, where the individual families can choose what they want to do with them.
Cremains contain what is known as rest energy, sometimes referred to as free or dormant energy. This type of energy is still subject to the restraints of natural law, and can have no physical or spiritual impact on those around it.
In most cases, cremated remains are odourless. They may have a slightly metallic odour or some people say they smell somewhat like incense in some cases. However, it is common for ashes to have no distinct smell. Nonetheless, they can take on the smell of the container or cremation urn they are in.
Human ashes are like sand and they do not float. They will not dissolve in the water; instead, they will descend into the ocean until they hit the floor. Can we have a service or a mariner's farewell ceremony before we scatter ashes?
That vault is buried in the ground. Because the earth remains relatively cool, and due to the protective urn and vault, heat will have little effect on the ashes inside. Moisture can and will get in, which over time will cause the urn and vault to deteriorate and the remains to harden.
According to the first law of thermodynamics, energy can not be created or destroyed. Instead, it simply changes from one form to another. However, many believe the cremation process frees the spirit from its physical body. And so the soul energy leaves the ashes to return to nature.
No, but a final container for the remains is required, although it can be anything from a plastic bag to an elaborate urn. After cremation, cremated remains are placed in a temporary container.
Depending on location, the cremation process can take anywhere from 3-15 business days. Some states have laws requiring a waiting period before a cremation can even take place. The actual cremation can take about 3 hours, and processing the cremated remains takes another 1-2 hours.
Can You Get DNA From Cremated Remains? Yes. DNA testing is often done on the bodies of the dead, even after they've been cremated. The immense heat of the cremation ovens breaks down the body's organic matter, leaving bone fragments and teeth behind as they don't disintegrate during the cremation process.
The average amount of ash which will remain after the cremation of an adult is between 183 to 213 Cubic Inches, which is about 3 to 3.5 Litres. Our adult urns have the capacity of between 3.0 and 5.1 Litres.
The actual ashes are thus useless as they will not contain DNA. It is the bones and teeth that could potentially hold some DNA viable for analysis. However, after the cremation, the bones and teeth left behind are turned into a find powder (a process known as pulverization).
During cremation, the chamber reaches up to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. The softer parts of the teeth (like the pulp) disappear. However, the tougher parts of the teeth including the enamel are likely to survive cremation. They are one of the few things left behind after the process is complete.
Any bacteria or microscopic organisms that were present in the body are destroyed during the cremation process. Can you transport cremated remains by air?
The body does not feel pain during cremation because the person is no longer alive. When a person dies, their brain stops sending signals to the body. This means that the person cannot feel pain or any other sensation. In fact, a dead person feels nothing at all.
Yes, it is generally okay to open an urn. Most say that cremated remains are sterile, so you shouldn't have to worry about your health or safety from opening an urn. There are no legal reasons why an urn can't be opened either unless there is a question of who legally owns the cremains.
Are Cremation Ashes Heavy? A box of adult human ashes can be surprisingly heavy. If you are still expecting the remains to be like that of a campfire, the weight might be unexpected. Human cremation ashes include crushed bone, which makes them denser than ash from wood and therefore heavier.
There's nothing wrong with keeping a loved one's ashes in the house.
Can two people's ashes be mixed together? Yes. Mixing ashes is a common process known as “commingling.” Commingling means that the couple's cremated remains are mixed, or “mingled” together in an urn, most often a companion urn.
Also known as commingling, mixing cremated remains is illegal unless it is specifically requested by the deceased. This simply comes down to a matter of personal preference of the deceased. Most cremation chambers will not mix the remains of your loved ones—they'll usually leave that up to the family to do.