PUBLIC VIEWPOINTS OF CREMATORIES OPERATION

Upepeljevanje pokojnikov se lahko po tehniški plati primerja z nekaterimi drugimi procesi kot je sežig odpadkov, vendar moramo tudi zaradi pietetnih in zgodovinskih razlogov upepeljevanje obravnavati kot poseben proces. Eden od pomembnih vidikov delovanja upepeljevalnic je tudi okoljski, saj so upepeljevalnice potencialni onesnaževalec okolja, pri čemer so za okolje najnevarnejši živo srebro in dioksini/furani zaradi toksičnosti ter bioakumulacije v živih bitjih. Zaradi okoljskih in drugih razlogov prihaja do nasprotovanja javnosti za postavitev novih upepeljevalnic, kar se je zgodilo tudi v Sloveniji. S tehniškimi in drugimi ukrepi lahko emisije in druge vplive na okolje iz upepeljevalnic zelo znižamo, s tem pa postane upepeljevanje z okoljskega, tehniškega, ekonomskega, pietetnega in urbanističnega vidika najprimernejši način slovesa od pokojnikov. In terms of technical aspects, cremation of corpses can be compared to waste incinerating processes, but due to the reverence for the dead and for historical reasons, cremation needs to be treated as a special process. One of the most important aspects of crematoria process is the environmental aspect. The fact is that crematoria are potential environmental emitters where mercury and dioxins/furans present the most serious hazard because of their toxicity and possibility of bioaccumulation in living creatures. Due to environmental and other reasons sometimes building new crematoria faces public resistance, which happened in Slovenia as well. Emissions and other influences on the environment can be limited using technical and other measures. In that case, cremation becomes from various point of views (environmental, technical, economic, reverence for the dead and urban) the most appropriate way to treat corpses after death.