Did you know there is such a thing as burying without embalming? This is called natural or green burial. Green burial is generally carried out in the UK. Once green burial is performed, the body is placed directly into a body bag and buried, without using any chemicals. This is done so that the body can recycle itself naturally. Green burial should not be permitted because it causes odors, has the potential to spread disease, and may attract animals to the body due to odors. While people may have religious or personal reasons to support burial without embalming, the health and health risks are too great to ignore. Much of the reason green burial should not be allowed is because disease can spread. The OPS article titled The Infectious Disease Risks From Dead Bodies Following Natural Burial states: “For those in close contact with the dead, such as first responders, there is a health risk. Chronic infectious diseases from which those killed may have suffered and which are spread by direct contact include hepatitis B and C, HIV, pathogenic enteric intestinal bacteria, tuberculosis, cholera and others.” If these diseases are spread by direct contact, if a first responder has a disease that he contracted from working in a cemetery, it will spread easily. Furthermore, the diseases that are spreading have killed people, it is very dangerous and people are putting their lives at risk without even knowing it. Diseases only spread when green burial is performed because embalming stops the spread of disease, and also bodies are only buried in a body bag and not in a coffin when green burial is performed, so there is no nothing to preserve the body. News Article Purpose The Green Burial Cemetery states that “Embalming may be necessary for bodies that … in the middle of paper … in fabric, more so than in the embalming process. Chemicals can pollute water. An EPA article states that “pollution such as chemicals spilled on the ground, bacteria and nutrients from livestock areas, and pesticides and nutrients from the land can also seep into groundwater.” This does not occur during embalming because the coffins protect the chemicals from dripping out. Green burial should not be allowed due to the spread of disease, odor, and animals digging up the bodies. By avoiding green burial we eliminate an additional pathway for disease transmission. We are also considering sanitary means, unembalmed bodies tend to smell and attract animals, which creates an unsanitary environment. Ultimately, Green Burial causes many cleanup issues and health problems. Green burial can prove very dangerous and should not be allowed!