The impact of the products of human body decomposition on the soil
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31073/acss96-05Keywords:
military actions; cadaver decomposition islands; human body; soil chemical state; «Body farm».Abstract
The review article is devoted to the issue of the impact on the soil of the products of decomposition of the human body, which remains unburied. The topicality of the topic is determined by the circumstances that arose due to the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. In order to determine the changes in the state of the soil that occur in the immediate area where the body is located, scientific and journalistic materials and scientific literature were summarized, mainly related to the research of scientific institutions, which are called "Body farms". The stages of decomposition of the human body and the factors affecting the speed of this process are given. It was established that specific decomposition fluids, which seep into the soil, forming islands of cadaveric decomposition (fertility hot spots), have a direct effect. Liquids spread limitedly in the upper soil horizon and laterally up to 1 m along the perimeter of the body. In this zone, the content of organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus compounds in the soil increases significantly. A high concentration of these substances leads to the "burning" of all vegetation. There are also changes in the chemical composition of the soil, pH, electrical conductivity increases, functional and structural changes in soil microbial communities and an increase in the activity of mesofauna are observed. Changes in the parameters of soil properties caused by the arrival of decomposition products of the human body have a temporary nature, the duration of which depends on both the genetic characteristics of the soil and the morphological parameters of the body and the number of bodies. In general, the decomposition of the human body without certain infectious diseases or antibiotic-resistant bacteria has a minimal negative impact on the environment. Instead, potential sanitary and epidemiological risks are the body of a person who has had such diseases as HIV, hepatitis, COVID-19, and the like. In addition to the above, today the evacuation and identification of the bodies of the fallen defenders and civilians for proper burial and commemoration is of utmost priority.
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