* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Friday, October 10, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    MSG Entertainment Takes Radio City Music Hall Into the Future With Introduction of Sphere Immersive Sound – Business Wire

    MSG Entertainment Transforms Radio City Music Hall with Cutting-Edge Sphere Immersive Sound Experience

    Israel’s Entertainment Industry Is Being Targeted by the Left in Hollywood and the Right at Home – The Wall Street Journal

    Inside the Fierce Clash Shaping Israel’s Entertainment Industry: Hollywood vs. Local Voices

    Offset Is Ready To Finalize Divorce With Cardi B for a Major Reason – Yahoo

    Offset Poised to Finalize Divorce from Cardi B for a Major Reason

    Beyond the Stage: 8 Performing Arts Centers Driving Entertainment and Education – Livability.com

    Beyond the Stage: 8 Performing Arts Centers Transforming Entertainment and Education

    Row K Entertainment Emerges as Major New Hollywood Buyer With Splashy TIFF Shopping Spree – TheWrap

    Row K Entertainment Emerges as Major New Hollywood Buyer With Splashy TIFF Shopping Spree – TheWrap

    Charlie Hunnam Reflects on Playing a Serial Killer in Monster: The Ed Gein Story – Yahoo

    Charlie Hunnam Reveals the Dark Challenges of Playing a Serial Killer in Monster: The Ed Gein Story

  • 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
    China outlines more controls on exports of rare earths and technology – fox40.com

    China Unveils Tougher Restrictions on Rare Earth and Technology Exports

    Wisconsin Dairy Leads the Way with Cutting-Edge Technology Systems

    ENERCON and Biome collaborate for wind turbine noise reduction technology – Yahoo Finance

    ENERCON and Biome Join Forces to Revolutionize Wind Turbine Noise Reduction

    US and investors gambling on unproven nuclear technology, warn experts – Financial Times

    US and investors gambling on unproven nuclear technology, warn experts – Financial Times

    Is Light-Speed Analog Computing the Future of Technology? – BIOENGINEER.ORG

    Could Light-Speed Analog Computing Transform the Future of Technology?

    ARM Institute opens technology project call to speed submarine manufacturing – The Robot Report

    ARM Institute Unveils Cutting-Edge Technology Project to Revolutionize Submarine Manufacturing

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    MSG Entertainment Takes Radio City Music Hall Into the Future With Introduction of Sphere Immersive Sound – Business Wire

    MSG Entertainment Transforms Radio City Music Hall with Cutting-Edge Sphere Immersive Sound Experience

    Israel’s Entertainment Industry Is Being Targeted by the Left in Hollywood and the Right at Home – The Wall Street Journal

    Inside the Fierce Clash Shaping Israel’s Entertainment Industry: Hollywood vs. Local Voices

    Offset Is Ready To Finalize Divorce With Cardi B for a Major Reason – Yahoo

    Offset Poised to Finalize Divorce from Cardi B for a Major Reason

    Beyond the Stage: 8 Performing Arts Centers Driving Entertainment and Education – Livability.com

    Beyond the Stage: 8 Performing Arts Centers Transforming Entertainment and Education

    Row K Entertainment Emerges as Major New Hollywood Buyer With Splashy TIFF Shopping Spree – TheWrap

    Row K Entertainment Emerges as Major New Hollywood Buyer With Splashy TIFF Shopping Spree – TheWrap

    Charlie Hunnam Reflects on Playing a Serial Killer in Monster: The Ed Gein Story – Yahoo

    Charlie Hunnam Reveals the Dark Challenges of Playing a Serial Killer in Monster: The Ed Gein Story

  • 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
    China outlines more controls on exports of rare earths and technology – fox40.com

    China Unveils Tougher Restrictions on Rare Earth and Technology Exports

    Wisconsin Dairy Leads the Way with Cutting-Edge Technology Systems

    ENERCON and Biome collaborate for wind turbine noise reduction technology – Yahoo Finance

    ENERCON and Biome Join Forces to Revolutionize Wind Turbine Noise Reduction

    US and investors gambling on unproven nuclear technology, warn experts – Financial Times

    US and investors gambling on unproven nuclear technology, warn experts – Financial Times

    Is Light-Speed Analog Computing the Future of Technology? – BIOENGINEER.ORG

    Could Light-Speed Analog Computing Transform the Future of Technology?

    ARM Institute opens technology project call to speed submarine manufacturing – The Robot Report

    ARM Institute Unveils Cutting-Edge Technology Project to Revolutionize Submarine Manufacturing

    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

Climate Change Poses ‘Ecological Trap’ for Species Struggling to Adapt – Bioengineer.org

Climate Change Creates a Dangerous Ecological Trap for Struggling Species

October 10, 2025
Science and the heart: Remembering Jane Goodall – American Animal Hospital Association – AAHA

Unlocking the Heart’s Secrets: Celebrating Jane Goodall’s Enduring Legacy

October 10, 2025
Young trucker couple embraces flatbed trucking, balanced lifestyle – Truck News

Young trucker couple embraces flatbed trucking, balanced lifestyle – Truck News

October 10, 2025
China outlines more controls on exports of rare earths and technology – fox40.com

China Unveils Tougher Restrictions on Rare Earth and Technology Exports

October 10, 2025
Midway’s Tate Mason named Week 7 WVLT Sports/5Star Preps Player of the Week – WVLT

Midway’s Tate Mason named Week 7 WVLT Sports/5Star Preps Player of the Week – WVLT

October 9, 2025
FIGO World Congress 2025 closes in Cape Town with renewed global commitment – FIGO.org

Global Leaders Unite in Cape Town to Close FIGO World Congress 2025 with Renewed Commitment

October 9, 2025
Our economic future is a black box – marketplace.org

Our economic future is a black box – marketplace.org

October 9, 2025
MSG Entertainment Takes Radio City Music Hall Into the Future With Introduction of Sphere Immersive Sound – Business Wire

MSG Entertainment Transforms Radio City Music Hall with Cutting-Edge Sphere Immersive Sound Experience

October 9, 2025
See photos from Pitt’s Health Sciences Alumni Weekend – University of Pittsburgh

See photos from Pitt’s Health Sciences Alumni Weekend – University of Pittsburgh

October 9, 2025
U.S. politics is broken because of MAGA Republicans and hard-line Democrats – AJC.com

How MAGA Republicans and Hard-Line Democrats Are Driving U.S. Politics to the Brink

October 9, 2025

Categories

Archives

October 2025
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Sep    
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 (860)
  • Economy (880)
  • Entertainment (21,753)
  • General (17,506)
  • Health (9,922)
  • Lifestyle (893)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (881)
  • Politics (890)
  • Science (16,091)
  • Sports (21,381)
  • Technology (15,861)
  • World (863)

Recent News

Climate Change Poses ‘Ecological Trap’ for Species Struggling to Adapt – Bioengineer.org

Climate Change Creates a Dangerous Ecological Trap for Struggling Species

October 10, 2025
Science and the heart: Remembering Jane Goodall – American Animal Hospital Association – AAHA

Unlocking the Heart’s Secrets: Celebrating Jane Goodall’s Enduring Legacy

October 10, 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