Promession
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Promession is an idea of how to dispose human remains by way of freeze drying. The concept of promession was developed by Swedish biologist Susanne Wiigh-Mäsak, who derived the name from the Italian word for "promise" (promessa). She founded Promessa Organic AB in 1997 to commercially pursue her idea. The company went bankrupt in 2015 without being able to produce a functioning facility. The idea of promession is questioned and not a functional method according to critics.
Process
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The idea of promession involves five steps:
- Coffin separation: the body is placed into the chamber
- Cryogenic freezing: liquid nitrogen at −196 °C crystallizes the body
- Vibration: the body is disintegrated into particles within minutes
- Freeze drying: particles are freeze dried in a drying chamber, leaving approximately 30% of the original weight
- Metal separation: any metals (e.g., tooth amalgam, artificial hips, etc.) are removed, either by magnetism or by sieving. The dry powder is placed in a biodegradable casket which is interred in the top layers of soil, where aerobic bacteria decompose the remains into humus in as little as 6–12 months.
Criticism
Promession as a functional method is questioned. No facility for promession has been built or put into service. Critics argue that there is a physical impossibility to atomize a freeze dried human body in this way.
Current status
Promessa Organic AB was liquidated in 2015 without being able to produce a functioning module or facility.
See also
References
- ^ Holst, Karen (13 April 2011). "Swedish green-burial firm to turn frozen corpses in compost". Retrieved 26 September 2012.
- ^ McNally, Patrick (30 September 2008). "Promession: A Return to the Living Soil". Daily Undertaker. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
- ^ a b "Promessa slutligen i konkurs". Bohusläningen (in Swedish). Retrieved 12 September 2018.
- ^ a b Kron, Andreas. "Ekologisk begravning - Studio Ett". sverigesradio.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 12 September 2018.
- ^ Möller, Lotte (2011). Hej då! : begravningsboken. Malmö: Arena. ISBN 9789178433612. OCLC 760982426.
- ^ "- Promession fungerar inte / Kalmar / NYHETER / ÖSTRAN / Östra Smålan…". 25 May 2012. Archived from the original on 25 May 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
