A "flameless cremation" device could remove the hazard of vaporized mercury resulting from cremating the deceased, according to a report by the BBC.
The machine has a pressured chamber that is heated to 300° C (572° F). An alkaline solution (potassium hydroxide) breaks down the body into skeletal remains, which are then processed into a white powder that is turned over to the family, the BBC explained.
The three-hour process completely separates dental amalgam fillings that would have otherwise been vaporized during a typical cremation process. Amalgam fillings going through the cremation process are blamed as a significant source of overall mercury vapor pollution.
