Mad Medicine

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Burn, baby, BOOM

Documented: Pacemakers can explode when burned; they must be removed before cremation.

Implanted cardiac pacemakers are routinely removed before a body is cremated, because of the risk of explosion. This is mandated by state laws.

In Dispute: Nuclear-powered pacemakers are especially dangerous in a cremation explosion because of the risk of radioactive fallout.

There are nuclear-powered cardiac pacemakers; they were first implanted in humans in the 1970s. They have been constructed to be resistant to fire, impact, crush, corrosion and cremation. A plutonium-powered pacemaker was inadvertently incinerated in a mortician's trash in 1998, but there has been no increase in radiation detected in the area.

References:

• South Carolina Safe Cremation Act
• More NRC reports
• Nuclear Regulatory Commission report on incinerated pacemaker