Decomposition

Decomposition

and

failure of decomposition

Oslo
23. / 24. October
Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Topic

A) Composition of the human body
B) Microorganisms and their activity
C) Oxygen (demand, supply)
D) Self-poisoning of bacteria

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Failure of decomposition

• Mummification
• Formation of grave wax (adipocere)
• Formation of Faulleichen

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Components of the human body

• 50 % water
• 15 % bones (mineral substances)
• 35 % tissue (organic substances)

protein, polysaccharide, fat

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Protein

amino acids (25 different)

e.g.:

serin CH2OH -CHNH2 –COOH
cystein CH2SH –CHNH2 –COOH

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Polysaccharide

• sugar

e.g.:

glucose C6H12O6

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Fat (lipid)

− glycerine CH2OH-CHOH-CH2OH
− fatty acid CH3-(CH2-CH2)n-COOH

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Decomposition of the tissue

metabolic process by
− scavengers or
− microorganisms

at: „normal“ temperature

chemical process by
− burning

at: high temperature

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Degradation
is an active microbial process

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Microbial degradation

− growth of microorganisms
− mineralisation of the tissue

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Conditions for a microbial growth

− required microorganisms
− water
− temperature
− microbial activity

− production of cellular components
− recovery of energy
− self-poisoning of bacteria

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Required microorganisms

flora of: skin,
gut,
respiratory tract

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Water needed

bacteria: > 91% relative humidity
fungi: > 80% relative humidity

→ natural mumification

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Temperature

microbial growth is:
− possible between: 0° and 70° C
− optimum between : 30° and 45° C

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Microbial activity

− production of cellular components
− energy recovery for metabolism

both processes in parallel

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Energy recovery

by:

respiration
fermentation

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Respiration

− molecular oxygen (air, water) or
− nitrate or sulphate

as:
exogenous electron acceptor

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Fermentation

organic substances
(sugar, glycerine or amino acids)

as:
endogenous electron acceptor

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Microbial degradation of sugar

by respiration:

C6H12O6 + 6 O2 →

6 CO2 + 6 H2O + 2881 KJ

carbon dioxide + water

by fermentation:

C6H12O6 →
2 CH3 –CH2OH + 2 CO2 + 244 KJ
alcohol + carbon dioxide

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Products by respiration

organic substances products

sugar carbon dioxide ..CO2
water…..............H2O
Glucose C6H12O6
carbon dioxide ..CO2
amino acids (protein) water ….............H2O
leucin / isoleucin nitrat ..................NO3–
C4H9 –CHNH2 –COOH nitrogen…………N2
cystein sulfat .................SO42–
CH2SH –CHNH2 –COOH carbon dioxide ..CO2
water ……......H2O
fat

CH3 –[CH2]n –COOH
CH2OH-CHOH-CH2OH

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Products by fermentation

organic substances

sugar products of complete degradation:
glucose C6H12O6 carbon dioxide ...............CO2
water ..............................H2O
glycerine
CH2OH-CHOH-CH2OH products of incomplete
degradation:
amino acids (protein) acetic acid ....................CH3 –COOH
leucin / isoleucin ethanol (alcohol) ...........CH3 –CH2OH
C4H9 –CHNH2 –COOH methan (sludge gas) ......CH4
cystein hydrogen ........................H2
CH2SH –CHNH2 –COOH ammonia ........................NH3
hydrogen sulphide .........H2S
fatty acids (fat) CH3 –[CH2]n –
COOH storage substances:
poly hydroxy fatty acids
Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn
poly hydroxy fatty acids

Poly hydroxy butyric acid

butyric acid: CH3 –CH2 –CH2 –COOH
hydroxy butyric acid: CH3 –CHOH –CH2 –COOH
poly hydroxy butyric acid:

CH3 –CH –CH2 –COOH
│
O
│

CH3 –CH –CH2 –CO
│
O
│

CH3 –CH –CH2 –CO
│

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Tomita 1984

On the Production of Hydroxy Fatty Acids and Fatty Acid Oligomers in the
Course of Adipocere Formation. Japan Journal Legal Medicine 38 (1984) 257

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Adipocere

is a mixture of: − fat
− fatty acids,
− soap
− poly-β-hydroxy fatty acids

but chemically:

− no wax

(wax = ester from fatty acid + alcohol)

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Oxygen demand
for the corpse of 75 kg weight

demand

minimum maximum

oxygen 28,0 kg 76,6 kg
air 94 m2 256 m2
water 2569 m2 7028 m2

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Adipocere formation

is the result of:

− lack of oxygen

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Adipocere

− whitish up to dirty grey,
− smeary soft up to crumbly compact
− odourless, mouldy smell
− greasily feeling lipid material

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Faulleiche

− remains of tissue
− adpocere
− black, smeary fluid
− disgusting, putrid, rotten smell

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Decay products from fermentation

may stop microbial growth
if there is an enrichment

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Enrichment of
incomplete degradation products

if there is no exchange between
environment and corpse

by

gas and water

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

e. g.

─ in zinc coffin
─ immured
─ concreted
─ in closed barrels
─ in plastic bags / cover

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Products of incomplete degradation by
fermentation

ethyl alcohol CHHCO3 –OCHH2OH
formic acid CCHH33 –COOH
acetic acid –CH2 –CH2 –COOH
butyric acid
ammonia HCNHH2N33(–CNHH2)25NH2
metylamin H2N(CH2)4NH2
cadaverin
putrescin H2S

hydrogen sulphide

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

I norske språk

ethanlol spicy smelling
maursyre stikkende-luktende væske
eddiksyre væske med en stikkende lukt
butyric acid harskt smør og i svette
ammoniakk stikkende-smelling gass
metylamin ammoniakartigem lukt
cadaverin illeluktende væske
putrescin amin-lignende lukt med solid

hydrogensulfid lukt av råtne egg

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

Reduction of problems with Faulleichen

─ creation of exchange between corpse
and environment

─ destruction of plastic cover
─ drainage of water to subsoil
─ vetilation between atmosphere and grave

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

What is the result of the
Norwegian procedures?

drilling
treatment with:

water
air
quicklime

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn

• Water and quicklime is

injected

• The result is temperature

increase in the treated
space/area

• The procedure is enable to

control through continuous
temperature
measurements

Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schoenen, Bonn