The Impact on Environmental Health from Cemetery Waste in Middle Tennessee

Patrick Richardson, Heather Tillewein (), Joao Antonangelo and Daniel Frederick
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Patrick Richardson: Department of Health and Human Performance, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN 37042, USA
Heather Tillewein: Department of Health and Human Performance, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN 37042, USA
Joao Antonangelo: Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
Daniel Frederick: Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN 37042, USA

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 3, 1-11

Abstract: The burial of caskets with arsenic-treated wood and formaldehyde-based embalming fluids can harm the environment and health. Arsenic (As) can leach into water, affecting aquatic life and the food chain. Formaldehyde can contaminate groundwater, risking drinking water and causing health problems. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of As and formaldehyde in cemetery plots of different ages. For this, we evaluated whether there is a potential for formaldehyde and As from cemetery caskets to contaminate waterways, which could impact livestock and allow transmission to individuals. There were six soil samples ( n = 6), collected at 2 m depth, close to the buried caskets, as well as two ( n = 2) groundwater samples (soil + groundwater) collected from a cemetery in Middle Tennessee. The soil was analyzed by an environmental lab using EPA 8315A for formaldehyde and EPA 3050B for As. All samples were below the limit of detection (Keywords: cemetery waste; formaldehyde; health; groundwater; arsenic (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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