Natural burial, nature-friendly or not?
Are natural burial grounds environmentally friendly?
Natural burial has become an increasingly well-known phenomenon in recent years. A natural burial ground is a natural area that has been made available as a burial ground. It is a beautiful concept: being returned to nature and offering relatives a beautiful environment in which to commemorate. In recent years, however, there has also been a counter-voice. Are natural burial grounds environmentally friendly, or does it only seem that way? Doesn't it come at the expense of the experience of nature?
Recent research on natural burial
The arguments against natural burial focus on having a negative effect on nature, and the effect when natural burial takes place on a larger scale. On this page we go through these arguments, and look at what two recent studies commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and Natuurmonumenten have to say about this. You can read the studies yourself here: Back to nature (2009) and Effects of natural burial on vegetation at Natural Burial Ground Heidepol (2017).
Natural burial not harmful to nature
The biggest factor in determining whether natural burial is harmful to nature is the extent to which human remains disrupt the natural balance. Burying many bodies in a nature reserve releases all kinds of substances that the nature reserve is not used to. In most cases, nature adapts to this automatically, which means that other plants will grow over time. In 2009, Wageningen Environmental Research conducted various soil surveys on natural burial sites, which showed that the influence of harmful substances from the body is in fact negligible. Last October, in 2017, they conducted another survey at Heidepol, which reached the same conclusion. For clarification, you can watch this video by Professor Martin van de Berg, Master of Science and Ph.D. in Environmental and Toxicological Chemistry:
Chemical waste in the body
In addition to the bodies adding new natural substances to the soil, chemical substances are also added. It may sound strange, but the body stores small amounts of heavy metals, among other things. The use of medicines in the final phase of life also leaves chemical traces. Comments are often made on natural burials based on these data, but is this justified? In the study by Wageningen Environmental Research, the amount of these substances was measured, after which they compared this data with the LAP (translated: National Waste Management Plan) and the EURAL (the European waste list). This showed that the amount of these substances is much lower than the standards set by the EURAL, and that the substances do not fall under what the LAP declares to be chemical waste. This means that the amount of these substances is simply absorbed by nature over time.
Ground and surface water
Another fear that is often expressed is the effect that the cemeteries would have on the quality of the groundwater and surface water. For this reason, the researchers of Wageningen Environmental Research took samples of both types of water, and of surface water that is in contact with that of the cemetery. These samples were compared with water that was not affected by the cemetery. No deviations were found in the composition of the water samples. The researchers therefore stated that natural burial has no effect on the quality of groundwater, not even with 1,500 graves per hectare.
The number of graves per hectare
In the above paragraph it was already mentioned, the number of graves per hectare. The number of graves in a cemetery and the way in which they are spread out plays a huge role in this story. When there are too many graves per hectare, then a larger amount of all harmful substances end up in the soil, which can cause problems at a certain point. Every natural burial ground therefore has specific rules for this, based on the correct space between two graves, and the correct number of graves per hectare. Usually this number is between 100 and 500 graves per hectare. This may sound like a lot, but it is much less than in a regular cemetery, where 5,000 to 10,000 graves per hectare are allowed.
Natural burial grounds at the expense of nature experience
The biggest commentary on natural burial grounds is based on the fear that more and more natural areas will become burial grounds. This is understandable, it is a crazy idea to walk through graves in a natural area. Natural burial is therefore most accepted when it takes place in remote, little-visited parts of a natural area. People fear that, since the right to a grave is perpetual, the burial grounds will fill up and therefore expand. Fortunately, not all areas are suitable for burial. There is a legal minimum depth for burial, and the grave must be above the highest water level. There are only a few areas that meet all the requirements.
Profit at the expense of nature
Another comment that is often made is about the extent to which natural burial grounds are guided by financial profit. There is a suspicion that the burial grounds will start laying more graves in the area in order to earn more money. If this were to happen, it would indeed lead to damage to nature. However, the organizations adhere to strict rules that are adjusted to the terrain. In addition, it is part of the ideology that when a natural burial ground is full, nature must be left completely alone because of the perpetual burial right.
Digging a grave pit
Where human remains have no significant effect, digging a grave does cause a number of changes. Digging a grave involves removing a large piece of soil and then replacing it. This mixes a deeper layer of soil with a higher layer of soil, after which the metabolic processes must recover. Fortunately, a grave with a perpetual burial right only needs to be dug once. Another risk of digging a grave in a forest area is that damage can occur to large tree roots. For this reason, most cemeteries also have rules about how far a grave must be from a tree, in order to avoid this risk.
What additional considerations can the natural burial ground take into account?
In nature reserves where foxes and wild boars roam freely, there is a risk that they will start digging in a grave because of the smell. To prevent this, it is wise to dig deeper than usual. You should also take into account any prostheses and pacemakers. Most prostheses do not cause any damage because the synthetic materials do not interact with the bacteria in the soil, but consult the organization of the cemetery about this. When burying an embalmed body, it is important to ensure that a good distance is kept between the places where these bodies are buried. The active substance in the most commonly used preservative is Formalin. This is a chemical substance that can be harmful to the environment in large quantities. According to thanatopraxy, the concentration of Formalin in the body is approximately 0.2 to 0.3%, which escapes from the body as a gas after three days. In this quantity, it would therefore not cause any damage to the environment. Only when too many embalmed bodies are buried in the same cemetery could this possibly cause damage to the groundwater. The last tip concerns the season in which burials take place. The effect of burial on nature is least in the fall and early winter.
Harmful memorials
Fortunately, all natural burial grounds now also prohibit the leaving behind of memorials that do not come from nature. Leaving behind non-environmental material on a large scale can be harmful. Usually, one may leave behind a wooden disk with an inscription or a boulder, or a shrub from the area may be planted on the grave. The use of naturally biodegradable clothing and coverings is also now almost everywhere mandatory. This includes shrouds made of natural fabrics and wooden carriers. Always consult with the natural burial ground you have in mind about the exact rules, as these differ per location.
A place for everyone
It would be great if natural burial grounds could remain a place for everyone and for nature. To achieve this, it would be best to set a maximum number of graves per cemetery and a minimum distance between the graves. In order to convert new areas into burial grounds, each site will have to be carefully examined to see what nature can handle. If that happens, natural burial grounds are environmentally friendly. As long as the accessibility for people who want to visit the nature area separately from the cemetery is also taken into account, everyone will have the space they need. For people who feel less comfortable with natural burial, resomation could be a sustainable alternative.
