JA: "What is the one environmental, if there is one, what is the most important environmental factor in the time that that process takes? Whether it's faster or slower?"
Dr. Vass: "There are 4 processes that are important in the rate of decomposition. Temperature is the most important. The 2nd is the presence of water, the water can come from the environment, it can come from inside the body...humidity, things of that nature. The 3rd is pH, pH is essentially a measure of whether something is acidic or basic there is a pH scale which runs from essentially 0-14, 7 being neutral. Above 7, it's alkaline or basic. Below 7, it's acidic. Surface or aerobic decomposition, that's decomposition in an oxygen type of environment like if the body is just lying on the surface, typically is very alkaline, high pH. Burials or anaerobic type of decompositional events tend to be very acidic. Like a burial situation or if you're wrapped in something that you can't have a lot of oxygen exchange. And the 4th major component is the presence of oxygen. Again, aerobic is much more rapid than anaerobic which is lack of oxygen. So those 4 major parameters affect the rate and completeness of the decompositional process. Temperature, being most important."
JA: "In that respect, would higher temperature accelerate decomposition?"
Dr. Vass: "That is correct."
JA: "Lower temperature might make is slower..."
Dr. Vass: "That is correct."
