Embalming is the process of preserving human remains to delay decomposition and restore a natural appearance. This is commonly done in preparation for a funeral service. During embalming, the blood is drained from the body and replaced with embalming fluid. This prevents discoloration and bloating of the body. So where exactly does the blood go after it is drained from the corpse during embalming? There are a few common methods for disposing of or recycling the blood.
Draining the Blood
The first step in embalming is to drain the blood from the body. This is done through the veins and arteries. The embalmer makes an incision near the right collarbone and inserts a tube hooked up to an embalming machine. This machine uses a pump to push embalming fluid into the arteries while simultaneously draining the blood from the veins. The blood drains out through a separate tube into a gutter or bucket underneath the embalming table.
Disposing of the Blood
There are a few common ways funeral homes dispose of the drained blood after embalming:
Sewage System
The most common method is to simply drain the blood down the sewage system. Blood is considered medical waste, so there are regulations for safely disposing of it. As long as the funeral home has the proper permits, the blood can be flushed down the drain and processed at the local wastewater treatment facility. The wastewater system is equipped to handle and decontaminate human blood.
Medical Waste Pickup
Some funeral homes contract with medical waste management companies to have the embalming blood hauled away for disposal. The blood is placed in approved hazardous material containers and transported to a regulated medical waste facility to be sterilized and disposed of properly. This ensures no blood-borne pathogens enter the water supply.
Solid Waste Landfill
In some cases, the removed blood may be consolidated into absorbent gelling clumping material and discarded as solid waste into a landfill. This absorbing polymer solidifies the blood so it does not leak out. The solidified blood can then be safely transported to and disposed of in a solid waste landfill.
Recycling the Blood
While most funeral homes dispose of the extracted embalming blood, some recycle it for other purposes, such as:
Blood Meal Fertilizer
Some facilities have the blood hauled off to processing plants where it is dried, sterilized, and made into blood meal fertilizer. Blood meal provides an excellent source of nitrogen and minerals to enrich soil. This organic fertilizer has been used by gardeners for centuries.
Cosmetics
The plasma portion of embalming blood can potentially be salvaged for use in certain cosmetics, such as face creams, wrinkle fillers, and skin repair products. The plasma contains nutrients, proteins, and growth factors used in cosmetic skin formulations.
Medical Research
Embalming blood may also be donated for use in medical research studies at pharmaceutical companies, university labs, or blood banks. The donated blood can serve as valuable biomedical samples to further scientific research and drug development.
Blood Transfusions
In exceptional circumstances, the blood removed during embalming can be transmitted for living patient blood transfusions. This generally requires prior consent from the deceased donor and testing to ensure the blood is safe for transfusion. But embalmed blood has occasionally been used to save lives.
What Happens to Blood Inside the Body During Embalming?
So that covers what is done with the drained blood removed from the vascular system during embalming. But you may be wondering, what actually happens to any remaining blood still inside the organs and tissues of the body? Here is a look at that process:
Vascular Embalming Fluid
The embalming fluid pumped through the arteries also reaches many of the body’s organs and tissues via the vascular system. This fluid mixes with and helps fix any residual blood still in the vessels so it does not break down or leak out.
Cavity Embalming Fluid
After arterial embalming, the abdominal and thoracic cavities are flushed with a stronger preservative cavity fluid. For the thoracic cavity, a trocar punches through the diaphragm and stomach to wash the chest organs. Abdominal cavity embalming targets the digestive organs. This cavity fluid fixes any blood remaining in the organ tissues.
Desiccation
Internal organs and tissues are then packed with absorbent powders that rapidly desiccate any moist elements inside the body, including residual blood. This drying process leaves only dry cellular tissues devoid of fluid blood.
Decomposition
Any isolated pockets of blood not reached by embalming fluids or desiccants will eventually decompose inside a sealed body if not drained out. But this does not cause a noticeable effect or alter the preserved appearance of the embalmed corpse.
Interesting Facts About Embalming Blood
Now you know the general fate of drained and internal blood during the embalming process. Here are a few more fascinating facts about embalming blood:
– The average human adult body contains 4.7 to 5.7 liters of blood which gets removed during embalming.
– Funeral homes can drain the blood from a human body in as fast as 3 minutes with modern embalming equipment.
– Embalming machine pumps operate at pressures between 120-150 psi to effectively drain blood and vascularize the body.
– Blood drained from one donated human cadaver can potentially save up to 4 lives.
– Modern arterial embalming was pioneered in the Civil War to preserve dead soldiers for transport home.
– Blood from autopsied bodies is often already clotted and does not drain as completely during embalming.
– Toxicology tests can be run on postmortem blood samples to detect poisoning or drug overdose causes of death.
– In some religious faiths, embalming is prohibited because it is believed draining blood prevents resurrection.
Conclusion
The removed blood is an integral byproduct of the embalming process. While most funeral homes safely dispose of it as medical waste, some facilities recycle the blood for fertilizer, cosmetics, transfusion, or research purposes. Inside the body, arterial injection of embalming fluids mixes with and preserves residual blood still in the tissues and vessels so that it does not leak or decompose. The blood drained and discarded after embalming ultimately allows preservation and viewing of the body while preventing public health risks. Knowing what becomes of this blood provides insight into the mechanics and chemical processes involved in modern embalming.