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.
The average amount of ash left over after the cremation of an adult is about 3 to 3.5 liters or 183 to 213 cubic inches. For a child this will be 0.8 to 2 liters or 54 to 122 cubic inches and for a (premature) baby 0.3 to 0.7 liters or 18 to 43 cubic inches. Your crematorium will always know the exact volume.
The average adult male result is about six pounds (of cremated remains). This is around two pounds more than an adult female. Cremation ashes take up about 200 cubic inches of volume on average. The remains or ashes are usually taken to the family of the deceased as soon as possible after cremation.
Are All of the Ashes Returned After Cremation? If you work with a reputable establishment, all the cremains are returned to the family after the process is complete. There may be isolated particles that become lost within the crematorium chamber, but this is usually a negligible amount.
Most crematoria will retain cremation ashes for a month, giving you time to make a decision.
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.
Is it OK to Keep Cremains at Home? There's nothing bad about keeping cremated remains at home. Even though the practice is legal, those from specific faith communities may object to the practice. Some religious faiths, such as followers of Islam, Eastern Orthodox, and some Jewish sects forbid cremation.
Cremated remains are commonly referred to as “ashes”. However, technically there are no ashes, what is left are the fragile calcified bone fragments. The ashes are transferred into an urn or container and is then returned to the family.
During cremation the retort gets so hot all organic material evaporates so there are no ashes produced at all.
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.
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).
In most cases, there is little to no DNA found in ashes. This is because of the conditions the body is exposed to during the cremation process. With flame cremation the body is placed in a chamber and exposed to extreme heat, with temperatures ranging from 760 to 980 Celsius.
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.
Human ashes consist purely of bone matter and trace amounts of minerals like sodium and potassium. Sodium is the main compound that forms salt.
Scatter the ashes at least 3 nautical miles from land.
This is stated by the US EPA, meaning you can't just stand on the shore and scatter ashes into the breaking waves. While each state has its own rules and regulations, traveling at least 3 nautical miles away from the shore is what the US EPA expects you to do.
The answer is no—cremated remains are not mixed with any other ashes. Crematoria take a number of precautions to prevent any ashes from being mixed, including using separate receptacles for each set of cremated remains and thoroughly cleaning the cremation chamber after each use.
Whether you bury or display the urn that holds your loved one's ashes, you can't go wrong. The ashes will never decompose, dissolve, or fade away for as long as you will be alive.
IDENTIFICATION DISK
Before the body goes into the oven, a stainless steel disk around the size of a quarter with a unique number is placed with it. That number is then recorded on the paperwork of the deceased. Since the disk doesn't melt, it will remain in tact with the ashes that you receive.
The only parts of the body that are removed before cremation are artificial ones like a medical device or implant with a battery, silicone, pins, radiation pressurization, pacemakers, and large hip, knee, and shoulder replacements along with any external jewelry.
The bones, which are the last to go, become calcified as they are exposed to the heat and begin to flake or crumble [source: Pope]. An average human body takes from two to three hours to burn completely and will produce an average of 3 to 9 pounds (1.4 to 4.1 kilograms) of ash.
During cremation, the body parts that do burn consist of organs, soft tissue, hair, and skin, while the water in our bodies evaporates. The body parts that do not burn are bone fragments.
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.
Nor can the ashes be scattered in the air, land or sea since doing so would give the appearance of "pantheism, naturalism or nihilism," the guidelines said. It repeated church teaching that Catholics who choose to be cremated for reasons contrary to the Christian faith must be denied a Christian funeral.
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.
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.