* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Thursday, September 4, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    ITV Studios Launches New Entertainment Label – Global Bulletin – IMDb

    ITV Studios Unveils Exciting New Entertainment Label

    TS Entertainment bringing Malibu Jack’s to former Owensboro mall – Lane Report

    TS Entertainment Launches Malibu Jack’s at Former Owensboro Mall Location

    Jenny Han Dropped a Major ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Easter Egg Revealing [SPOILER] – yahoo.com

    Jenny Han Just Unveiled a Huge ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Easter Egg That Changes Everything [SPOILER]

    Liam Payne’s Cousin Ross Harris Honors Late Singer With Emotional Song ‘Bones’ – yahoo.com

    Liam Payne’s Cousin Ross Harris Honors Late Singer with Emotional New Song ‘Bones

    Country music star apologizes after drunken show ends with cops taking him down: ‘I’m not OK’ – PennLive.com

    Country Music Star Apologizes After Drunken Show Ends in Police Intervention: ‘I’m Not OK

    Comanche Nation Entertainment closes casino near Devol – KSWO 7News

    Comanche Nation Entertainment Closes Casino Near Devol in Surprising Move

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd. (CRDO) Surpasses Q1 Earnings and Revenue Estimates – Yahoo Finance

    Credo Technology Group Surpasses Q1 Earnings and Revenue Expectations

    The Economist is hiring a science and technology correspondent – The Economist

    Exciting Opportunity: Become Our Next Science and Technology Correspondent!

    Blockchain lender Figure Technology seeks to raise up to $526M in IPO (FIGR:Pending) – Seeking Alpha

    Blockchain Lender Figure Technology Sets Sights on $526M in Thrilling IPO Launch

    New Technology from Ramsey Theory Group Brings Diagnostic Testing and Telehealth Directly into Patients’ Homes – Yahoo Finance

    Revolutionary Ramsey Theory Technology Delivers Diagnostic Testing and Telehealth Right to Your Doorstep

    China’s CATL sells stake in Finnish subcontract car manufacturer – Reuters

    China’s CATL Sells Stake in Finnish Auto Supplier in Strategic Move

    This Secret Technology Will Make The IPhone 17 Super Thin Air – VOI.ID

    How This Breakthrough Technology Will Make the iPhone 17 Incredibly Thin and Lightweight

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    ITV Studios Launches New Entertainment Label – Global Bulletin – IMDb

    ITV Studios Unveils Exciting New Entertainment Label

    TS Entertainment bringing Malibu Jack’s to former Owensboro mall – Lane Report

    TS Entertainment Launches Malibu Jack’s at Former Owensboro Mall Location

    Jenny Han Dropped a Major ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Easter Egg Revealing [SPOILER] – yahoo.com

    Jenny Han Just Unveiled a Huge ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Easter Egg That Changes Everything [SPOILER]

    Liam Payne’s Cousin Ross Harris Honors Late Singer With Emotional Song ‘Bones’ – yahoo.com

    Liam Payne’s Cousin Ross Harris Honors Late Singer with Emotional New Song ‘Bones

    Country music star apologizes after drunken show ends with cops taking him down: ‘I’m not OK’ – PennLive.com

    Country Music Star Apologizes After Drunken Show Ends in Police Intervention: ‘I’m Not OK

    Comanche Nation Entertainment closes casino near Devol – KSWO 7News

    Comanche Nation Entertainment Closes Casino Near Devol in Surprising Move

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd. (CRDO) Surpasses Q1 Earnings and Revenue Estimates – Yahoo Finance

    Credo Technology Group Surpasses Q1 Earnings and Revenue Expectations

    The Economist is hiring a science and technology correspondent – The Economist

    Exciting Opportunity: Become Our Next Science and Technology Correspondent!

    Blockchain lender Figure Technology seeks to raise up to $526M in IPO (FIGR:Pending) – Seeking Alpha

    Blockchain Lender Figure Technology Sets Sights on $526M in Thrilling IPO Launch

    New Technology from Ramsey Theory Group Brings Diagnostic Testing and Telehealth Directly into Patients’ Homes – Yahoo Finance

    Revolutionary Ramsey Theory Technology Delivers Diagnostic Testing and Telehealth Right to Your Doorstep

    China’s CATL sells stake in Finnish subcontract car manufacturer – Reuters

    China’s CATL Sells Stake in Finnish Auto Supplier in Strategic Move

    This Secret Technology Will Make The IPhone 17 Super Thin Air – VOI.ID

    How This Breakthrough Technology Will Make the iPhone 17 Incredibly Thin and Lightweight

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Science

Interdisciplinary team studies decomposition effects on soil

August 12, 2023
in Science
Interdisciplinary team studies decomposition effects on soil
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Interdisciplinary team studies decomposition effects on soil

Postdoctoral researcher Stacy Taylor conducts research on soil samples collected from the Anthropological Research Facility. Credit: UT, Knoxville

Forensic researchers at UT Knoxville’s famous Anthropological Research Facility, popularly known as the “Body Farm,” have made headlines for decades in their discoveries of what happens to human bodies after death. Now, a multidisciplinary team—engineers, soil scientists, and biologists—digs in with them for a deeper look at what happens to the soil underneath a decomposing body.

Their study, “Soil Elemental Changes During Human Decomposition,” published in June 2023 by PLOS One, could benefit investigators searching for human remains in remote or hard-to access-vegetated areas.

“This study was part of a larger project where we were investing environmental changes in the vicinity of a decomposing body,” said Jennifer DeBruyn, co-author and professor in the Department of Biosystems and Soil Science (BESS). “Our bodies are concentrated in nutrients and other elements compared to the surrounding environment. As they break down, these nutrients are released into the environment, resulting in changes to soil and vegetation nearby.”

A greater understanding of how and when soil and vegetation changes in the presence of decomposing human remains may offer clues to both locating bodies and estimating how long they have been there.

To test their ideas, this study asks: What elements are released from the human body during decomposition and how does it influence the local soil environment?

“We have previously looked at the major elements of the body, namely carbon and nitrogen,” said DeBruyn, “But we know there are lots more in our bodies.”

The next most abundant elements in the body are sulfur, phosphorus, sodium, and potassium. As the soft tissues in test bodies decomposed, the team observed an expected pulse of these elements in the soils as they were released into the environment.

“What we were surprised to see was that we also had higher concentrations of calcium and magnesium than what we would expect from the input of the body alone,” said Stacy Taylor, lead author on the study and a postdoctoral researcher in DeBruyn’s lab. “While we do have calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) in our bodies, much of it is tied up in our bones, which would take years or decades break down. Soils have capacity to bind cations like Ca2+ and Mg2+, so our hypothesis is that the changing conditions resulted in the release of these elements from the soil itself.”

They were also surprised to see an increase in some trace metals a few months into the soil testing, after soft tissues were largely decomposed.

“Again, the concentrations in soil were higher than what we would expect based on just what would be coming from the body,” said Taylor. “Decomposition fluids result in a gradual acidification of the soil over time, so our hypothesis is that as the pH was dropping, these trace metals were slowly being solubilized from mineral complexes in the soil.”

The big-picture take-away from their study could lead to new approaches in finding missing persons or in determining how long remains have been in a location.

“This study was an important documentation of the types of elements released during human decomposition and how they changed over time,” said DeBruyn. “It contributes to our broader understanding of local environmental changes during human decomposition, which may ultimately help us understand the timing of decomposition in cases where human remains are found outdoors.”

DeBruyn and her students and postdocs have been conducting research at the Anthropological Research Facility for over a decade, investigating the microbiological and environmental changes during human decomposition.

Their team for the study included DeBruyn, Taylor, and Michael Essington from BESS; Scott Lenaghan and Neal Stewart from the Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology within the UT Institute of Agriculture; Amy Mundorff and Dawnie Steadman of the Forensic Anthropology Center, and Adrian Gonzalez, manager of the Water Quality Core Facility (WQCF) in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

The WQCF analyzed hundreds of soil samples that originated from underneath deceased human donors—those whose decision to volunteer their remains offers ongoing contribution to the furthering of this investigative science.

More information:
Lois S. Taylor et al, Soil elemental changes during human decomposition, PLOS ONE (2023). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287094

Provided by
University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture

Citation:
Interdisciplinary team studies decomposition effects on soil (2023, August 11)
retrieved 11 August 2023
from https://phys.org/news/2023-08-interdisciplinary-team-decomposition-effects-soil.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Phys.org – https://phys.org/news/2023-08-interdisciplinary-team-decomposition-effects-soil.html

Tags: InterdisciplinaryscienceStudies
Previous Post

Hundred-year storms? That’s how long they last on Saturn

Next Post

Hunter Biden probe ramps up as DOJ appoints special counsel

Potential caterpillar mimicry in a tropical hummingbird – Falk – 2025 – Ecology – ESA Journals

Tropical Hummingbird’s Surprising Caterpillar Mimicry Revealed

September 4, 2025
Degrees of Science: Healthy Aging – KWTX

Unlocking the Secrets to Healthy Aging: A Science-Based Guide

September 4, 2025
Podcast: Blame, bad drivers, and ‘safety science’ – BikePortland

Podcast: Blame, bad drivers, and ‘safety science’ – BikePortland

September 4, 2025
If you want your 60s to be some of the best years of your life, say goodbye to these 5 behaviors – VegOut

If you want your 60s to be some of the best years of your life, say goodbye to these 5 behaviors – VegOut

September 4, 2025
Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd. (CRDO) Surpasses Q1 Earnings and Revenue Estimates – Yahoo Finance

Credo Technology Group Surpasses Q1 Earnings and Revenue Expectations

September 4, 2025

NFL Week 1 Power Rankings: Eagles Take Early Lead, But Bills Poised to Claim Ultimate Crown

September 4, 2025
Xi Parades Military Strength as Trump Accuses Him of Conspiring With Putin and Kim – The New York Times

Xi Unveils Military Strength as Trump Levels Accusations of Alliances with Putin and Kim

September 4, 2025
Trump tariffs and the Fed: Fate of U.S. economy may lie with the Supreme Court – Axios

How the Supreme Court Could Decide the Future of the U.S. Economy Amid Trump Tariffs and Fed Moves

September 4, 2025
ITV Studios Launches New Entertainment Label – Global Bulletin – IMDb

ITV Studios Unveils Exciting New Entertainment Label

September 4, 2025
RFK Jr. is spreading a reckless myth about SSRIs and mass shootings – MSNBC News

RFK Jr. Fuels Dangerous Myth Linking SSRIs to Mass Shootings

September 4, 2025

Categories

Archives

September 2025
MTWTFSS
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930 
« Aug    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (806)
  • Economy (824)
  • Entertainment (21,704)
  • General (16,848)
  • Health (9,865)
  • Lifestyle (839)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (826)
  • Politics (831)
  • Science (16,035)
  • Sports (21,323)
  • Technology (15,805)
  • World (805)

Recent News

Potential caterpillar mimicry in a tropical hummingbird – Falk – 2025 – Ecology – ESA Journals

Tropical Hummingbird’s Surprising Caterpillar Mimicry Revealed

September 4, 2025
Degrees of Science: Healthy Aging – KWTX

Unlocking the Secrets to Healthy Aging: A Science-Based Guide

September 4, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version