Cemeteries

There are quite a few places we would never really think could possibly present a hazard to us. Many of these are places we drive by all the time or already live next to. Sometimes, though, in the strangest of places there are environmental issues we need to be concerned about. The word “cemetery” does not make pollution come to mind. Cemeteries as a source of pollution are often overlooked. Tony and I asked a group of people who live next to a cemetery what they thought about their neighbor. Almost all of them talked about having a quiet neighbor and never having to worry if the land will be developed. On occasion, several of them joked that maybe they think a little bit about the ghosts that live there.

 

In all of the years we have been doing environmental site searches, looking at cemeteries only came up when we were looking at adjacent land uses or zoning. We too never thought to look into any possible environmental issues. It was only after a visit to see some friends in Florida that the thought of a cemetery having negative health potential became an issue. My friends knew I was interested in pollution and had come across a news article talking about groundwater contamination near old cemeteries up in Virginia and Pennsylvania. Intrigued by this, I started to gather some research and found that, indeed, there had been a few studies and tests on source pollution caused by cemeteries. I also found out quickly that while the amount of research into this area was small, all the conclusions pointed to evidence confirming a high probability of potential negative impact. 

 

There has historically been a lack of research and data partially because almost nobody thought there was a reason to look at the possibility of cemeteries and groundwater pollution. Any adjacent properties to existing cemeteries never gave an extra thought to any potential health issues. Tests usually conducted for groundwater contamination covered the standard list required by the government and local agencies, but nothing else. Up until recently, that standard testing for water quality did not include most of the chemicals and compounds used in embalming and burial. Obviously, they can’t find things they aren’t looking for. Even the most common chemicals found in cemeteries are not included in public water supply tests or private well analysis. 

 

Once I started to follow the new information, I started noticing some very disturbing health issues that went overlooked by almost everyone. Indeed, there has been a link made from cemetery pollution to contamination of groundwater supplies: liquids drain out of a landfill into the groundwater and similar drainage which occurs in cemeteries.

 

One surprising fact about cemeteries is the sheer number of them. The actual number of cemeteries and graveyards in the U.S. according to cartographer Joshua Stevens is 144,847. Stevens used data compiled from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics and the US Census Bureau. These cemeteries date from as far back as the Civil War, and some are as recent as the present. Cemeteries range in size from the massive three million grave Calvary Cemetery in Queens, New York, to the single-grave cemetery containing Dr. Francis Farley in Tewksbury Township, New Jersey.

 

Biologists and other scientists started to closely study cemeteries in the early 21st century to determine if they could be a source of pollution. What they found was quite astounding. There was a high potential for various types of pollution due to the materials placed in the ground. This included the decomposing bodies, the fluids used to embalm the bodies, and the types of materials used to bury the deceased in.

 

Now knowing cemeteries have the potential to pollute, the scientists took a close look at what specifically the risks were to the environment and the people living near a cemetery.

 

1. Groundwater Pollution

 

There are quite a few ways water can be contaminated from a cemetery. Embalming fluids to preserve the bodies until burial are hazardous. It takes about two or three gallons of embalming fluid to embalm one body, which does not seem like much. However, multiply that by the number of bodies buried each year at a cemetery; that is thousands of gallons put into the ground every year. Depending on what container the body was in when buried, it could be 10-20 years until decomposition of the casket allows the fluids and the decaying body inside to leach into the ground. Because many cemeteries have been burying people for 50, 60, or 80 years, many of the buried caskets have already disintegrated, exposing the bodies, long decomposed and rotted.

 

Older cemeteries and graveyards present a unique problem because of arsenic. Up until the early 1900s, arsenic was the primary fluid used to preserve bodies. Arsenic, while naturally occurring, is also used in quite a few industries. The waste is handled as hazardous and disposed of accordingly. However, when arsenic was used for embalming, each body embalmed would have about two to four gallons of arsenic at the time of burial. As the body began to decompose, the arsenic was released into the soil and sometimes made its way down to the water aquifer below.

 

An article posted on Smithsonian.com discussed the link between arsenic in old cemeteries and high levels of the poison found in nearby water sources. The article directs readers to a study done by the U.S. Geological Service, which tested a potentially contaminated water supply near an old cemetery in Iowa. The government agency found arsenic level three times higher than the safe levels set by the EPA for exposure in water consumed by people. To reiterate, that was three times the levels considered the threshold for safe.

 

When arsenic was finally phased out due to its toxicity, it was replaced with formaldehyde blended with glutaraldehyde, methanol, and other solvents. Like arsenic, formaldehyde is considered a carcinogen by the EPA. In addition, because of its potential hazardous effects on the environment, it is regulated as a hazardous material. If I poured several gallons of this down the drain or onto the ground, there would be large fines and penalties for illegal disposal of a hazardous substance. The funeral industry, however, is allowed to bury about three gallons of this toxic material each time they put another embalmed body in the ground. Because some cemeteries have thousands of gravesites and hundreds of burials each year, this adds up to hundreds of thousands of gallons of embalming fluid. One estimate of the total volume of embalming fluid placed annually into the ground comes in at a whopping 3 million gallons based on burial rates. Another estimate has 1.3 million gallons. No matter what the exact number is, the amount placed into the ground is tremendous.

 

Until very recently, the funeral industry has been allowed to bury these toxic chemicals without any oversight or scrutiny. Finally, though, studies seem to be forcing the hand of the regulatory agencies responsible for keeping water supplies safe. The EPA has finally become more than a little concerned about embalming fluids being placed into the ground concentrated in cemeteries. Now, the EPA acknowledges the threat it poses to water supplies. In Europe, the concern of the toxicity of formaldehyde and the potential for negative health effects resulted in the substance being phased out over the next several years. Knowing the U.S. too will be forced to take action, the funeral industry is quickly trying to find a less toxic alternative.

 

Scientists estimate that the average body will take 5-12 years to decompose inside a coffin. The actual coffin containing the body could take upwards of 25 years to decompose, depending on the materials used in its construction. With wooden coffins, the preservatives used on its surface can add to its decomposition time. Coffins made of metal will obviously take much longer before they start to leak their contents into the soil. Moreover, the actual time it takes until leakage is also affected by factors such as the types of soil in the cemetery, the amount of rain and snow in the area, and the overall quality and integrity of the coffin.

 

Precipitation percolates through the ground, and the chemicals released from the decomposed bodies and rotted coffins slowly drain through the soil into the aquifer below. Once there, they spread out in a plume headed in the direction that the water flows.

 

Besides the toxic chemicals used during the embalming process, there is also documented concern about the fillings in teeth containing mercury. The average body may contain only three fillings, so this may seem already hazardous, especially considering the tiny amount of mercury it takes to reach dangerous levels. Adding hundreds and thousands of small sources together creates a large issue. Mercury has been detected in water on and near cemeteries in levels higher than acceptable.

 

Even the caskets themselves are a hazard to the groundwater. Casket manufacturers are listed as generators of hazardous waste because of the toxic by-products they make when coating and applying the finish to the caskets. Once in the ground, toxic chemicals used to preserve the wood and stain and varnish the coffin also degrade into a toxic stew. Before environmental rules were made stricter, paints frequently contained heavy metals such as lead, copper, and chromium. Many older cemeteries still have sections where those chemicals were widely used on the coffins buried there. 

 

2. Pesticides and Chemical Treatment

 

Cemeteries have large, open expanses of green lawns. Like golf courses, it takes a lot of maintenance and upkeep to have them stay this way. Many cemeteries use continuous applications of herbicides and fertilizers to maintain the lush green. In an effort to keep the expense of lawn maintenance low, heavier applications of weed and pest control chemicals are applied as needed. Chemicals drifting from cemeteries is the same as for farms or golf courses. Nowhere near 100% of the chemicals applied stay only on the cemetery property. The adjoining properties are exposed to whatever has been applied.

 

In addition, because many cemeteries have been around for decades, there were many toxic chemicals used in large quantities before they were phased out and taken off the market. Testing on cemeteries shows much of the same level of contamination as golf courses. Because the cemetery is not being developed into a housing complex, this hazard goes unnoticed, untested, and unreported. Only the people living along the perimeter of the cemetery and nearby using wells would ever know about this, and only then if they checked their water or soil for specific chemicals 

 

3. Bacteria and Viruses

 

This hazard gets a little creepy, but based on concerns and tests from well-respected organizations such as the World Health Organization, its inclusion is necessary. The human body contains enormous amounts of bacteria and viruses. These do not die when the body itself does. These pathogens might survive on the decaying body for years, eventually leaking into groundwater. The level of the water table has a lot to do with the potential for transmission of germs. In drier climates with lower water tables, precipitation is the only method for bacteria and viruses to get into the groundwater. However, in areas with high water tables, poor drainage, and frequent precipitation, it is easy for bacteria and viruses to get into the groundwater and travel. In places like Florida where the water table is very close to the surface, this could be a perfect situation for the transmission of bacteria into the groundwater. 

 

This issue is a concern to many towns, and many of them have tried to address the issue with local laws. These towns have local regulations with regards to the depth a body can be buried in relation to the water table. There also may or may not be regulations dictating distances from the cemetery boundaries to the neighboring properties’ wells. That is something the homeowners would need to look at. 

 

The U.S. Department of Interior and the U.S. Geological Survey Agency published the results of a study in 2018 that shows cemeteries may be a potential source of both chemical and microbial contamination to groundwater and surface water in the area. More studies should be undertaken based on this. 

 

Wells, both private and municipal, can be at risk from contamination. The larger and older the cemetery is, the greater the possibility of some level of pathogens in water supplies are. People living near cemeteries should monitor wells and test the water quality frequently for specific chemicals. In addition, water tests should be done for arsenic and mercury if the cemetery is an older one, and formaldehyde, lead, zinc, copper, and iron for all others. Nitrates, pesticides, and herbicides should also be included in the water testing.

 

Having a cemetery as a neighbor can be an advantage for those who prefer the quiet atmosphere it offers. The potential for future development is minimal. The only real development is above-ground vaults for burials, some of which can be 30 feet or higher, right behind people’s backyards. This would resolve the issue of decomposing bodies in the ground, but the trade-off is the visual effect. Moreover, there is the issue of the toxic materials in the ground from years of spraying being disturbed during construction of these vaults. Once in the air, they would drift into neighboring properties. If you live near a cemetery and they are looking at above ground burial buildings, we suggest you get the town to include soil testing for specific chemicals like ziram, dicamba, and 2,4-D or commonly used pesticides and herbicides that are carcinogens or now banned before construction disturbs the area. 

 

Living near a cemetery takes a certain type of person who is not bothered by the concept. The health risks can be checked and tested for occasionally to see if anything changed. The value of the property near cemeteries is definitely lower compared to similar properties far away from cemeteries. If those factors do not bother you, then this may well be the place you have been looking for. Just remember to test your water and be careful when the cemetery applies chemicals to its green areas.