What is Alkaline Hydrolysis?

• A. The process of cremation with flame.
• B. Burial in the ground with chemical preservatives.
• C. A process of cryogenic freezing of remains.
• D. The technical process for reducing human remains by placing them in a dissolution chamber that uses heat, pressure, water, and base chemical agents.

Answer: (D)

Alkaline hydrolysis is a method of reducing human remains by placing them in a dissolution chamber where soft tissues are dissolved in an alkaline, water-based solution under heat and pressure. The base chemicals speed up the chemical breakdown of tissues, leaving mainly bone fragments, which are then dried and processed into cremains. The liquid byproduct is treated as wastewater. This approach—also called aquamation or green cremation—serves as an environmentally gentler alternative to flame-based cremation. It differs from traditional cremation, burial with embalming, or cryogenic freezing, which rely on flame, chemicals, or extreme cold, respectively.