If you are concerned that the ashes will smell after the cremation, the answer is no. There is no odor emitted from ashes that have been properly cremated. Even over time, you shouldn't expect any particular smells to develop. If anything, certain cremation containers will simply emit a slight incense-like smell.
The operators at crematoriums heat bodies to 1,750 degrees Fahrenheit for two to three hours; they liken the smell close-up to a burnt pork roast. Unless someone's standing at the door of the actual cremator, however, it's unlikely anyone will catch a whiff.
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.
The soft tissues, muscles, skin, and hair are burned and the bones are calcified until they break into small pieces. Any gases are released through an exhaust system, so there is rarely any smell associated with the cremation process.
Ashes have no expiry date
There's no rush on moving or transferring them. You can keep them in the container from the crematorium for as long as you need. You might keep them in your home forever, or you might decide to scatter or bury them at a later date.
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.
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.
Religions like Orthodox Christianity, Islam and Judaism follow traditions that frown upon cremation, even prohibiting it. Traditionally, their culture believes that the idea of turning human body into cremation ashes might interfere with God's ability to resurrect the dead and bring it to heaven.
Cremation Involves Lighting the Body on Fire
One of the most misguided cremation myths is that the body is set on fire. The cremation process uses flames to create extreme heat in a specially designed furnace. During the cremation process, the furnace (also called a retort) reaches temperatures around 1800° F.
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 Regulation does not allow more than one body to be cremated in the same crematory retort at the same time to ensure that the ashes they receive are not a mixture of ashes from different people. It is for this reason that cremation authorities no longer attempt to separate wood ash from human ash.
The actual cremation (burning of the dead body, turning them into ashes) can take about 3-4 hours, and processing the cremated remains takes another 2-3 hours.
How long does a cremation process take? Cremations last between one and three hours with cooling taking a further one or two hours. This depends on cremation temperatures, the size of the deceased, and coffin material.
Once the curtains close at a crematorium, the coffin disappears discreetly from view and is taken away from you. It can also signal the end of the service and the point at which the loved one's coffin is taken by crematorium staff to be cremated.
“You can go around any crematorium around town and 90 percent of the time you will not see any smoke as this is usually caused because the deceased person is obese, there is equipment failure or it is too hot because of a malfunction of the retort,” Dickey said. “However, we never comingle remains.
The process of corpse cremation generates numerous harmful air pollutants, including particulate matter (PM), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and heavy metals. These pollutants could have severe effects on the surrounding environment and human health.
The most significant environmental concerns with cremation are the amount of energy used and the greenhouse gases produced while the body is being cremated. Cremation releases noxious gases into the air. The by-products include fine soot, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, mercury from dental fillings, and heavy metals.
Is the coffin cremated with the body? Yes. The Federation Of Burial and Cremation Authorities (FBCA) Guiding Principles state that the container and the body shall be placed in cremator and cremation commenced.
These larger fragments are then ground down into smaller pieces. Something that people don't often know is that the belly button never burns to ash; it remains hard and in the same shape.
If simplicity is a factor, cremation is definitely better. Traditional burials are more expensive, less environmentally-friendly, and under a tighter deadline. They're also a lot more complicated.
Of all world religions, Islam is probably the most strongly opposed to cremation. Unlike Judaism and Christianity, there is little diversity of opinion about it. Cremation is considered by Islam to be an unclean practice.
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.
Do I need permission to scatter ashes on private property? We recommend asking for permission from the landowners if you intend to scatter human ashes on private property. However, scattering ashes on private property is legal in Australia.
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).