Evaluation on environmental impact from the utilization of fossil fuel, electricity and biomass producer gas in the double-chambered crematories

Abstract

© 2015 Elsevier Ltd In this paper, environmental impacts occurred by different type of fuel used in a double-chambered crematory were analyzed and evaluated. Four kinds of fuel, which are diesel, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), electricity and biomass gas derived from gasification, were selected, whereas 60 kg of human corpse was assumed. Methodologies proposed in this paper consist of Greenhouse Gas emission, and damages to human health with ecosystem, which were analyzed by ReCipe Midpoint and Endpoint V1.05. The utilization of electricity for cremation process resulted in highest Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission, which was 388 kgCO2-eq. At a same time, it was discovered high amount of GHG releasing from utilization of biomass producer gas, due to amount of fuel consumption and fuel's carbon content. It was investigated that using of diesel and LPG caused of drastic human toxicity after cremation process, by the formation of nitrogen oxide and unburnt carbon monoxide occurred from deficient combustion. Consequently, these evaluation results promoted the benefit of biomass energy utilization, in order to reduce fossil depletion and toxic emission, and it can be implied as carbon neutral concept. Likewise, if electricity will be applied as fuel for cremation, increasing the ratio of green energy in electricity production can decrease the environmental impacts.