In fact, the things we do to dead bodies to prevent them from decomposing can do more damage than just letting the bodies decompose naturally. Often buried bodies are placed in a thick hardwood or metal coffin, chemically preserved, and buried very deep, six feet or more down in the soil. The idea is that it’s safe down there, for both the body and everyone else. But the metals, formaldehyde, and medical waste may do more harm to the groundwater than the body they’re trying to protect.
