LARVICIDAL CONSEQUENCES AND PHYSICAL CHANGES FOLLOWING THE UTILITY OF SOME PETROCHEMICAL FUELS IN EMBALMING SERVICES

Abstract

An ideal embalming fluid: eliminates infection and health hazards; maintains ante-mortem appearance; eliminates sequence of decomposition; prevents occupation of larvae and fungi. No embalming formulae had met these attributes, hence, the quest to formulate an ideal embalmment fluid across the globe continues with the present study designed to hypothesize the larvicidal consequences and physical changes following addition of some petrochemical fuels to common embalming fluid using Wistar rats under bioethics standard. An embalmment composition was propounded with Group A (Control) having 75% of the composition along with 25% of sterile water. Groups B, C and D having 75% of the composition with 25% of Kerosene, Petrol and Diesel respectively. First stage: embalmment of two rats per group and monitoring for 12weeks for physical changes. Second stage: delayed embalmment by immersion of one rat per group that was occupied by larvae in different embalming mixtures and death rate monitored to assess larvicidal consequences of the mixture. Analysis done with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (version-25) and the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The mean fluid needed to embalm 1g of tissue was 0.6±0.04ml. Retainment of ante-mortem weight was highest in Diesel-mixture after 12weeks of embalmment. Petrol-mixture killed all the larvae within 60seconds while others had no larvicidal effect per se. Petrol-mixture was best in damping offensive odour from necrotic tissue. Diesel-mixture conferred lustre beauty on the integumentary system. Petrol-mixture had unambiguous larvicidal effect. This study was veritably ‘Evidence Based Anatomy’ with the innovative outcomes in embalming affairs.