The importance of the short-term leaching dynamics of wood preservatives.
The potential environmental impacts from the use of treated timber in aquatic areas is under scrutiny as a result of environmental legislation and reports of the deleterious environmental effects around treated structures. In this study leaching experiments of up to 3 weeks duration were conducted on two species of chromated copper arsenate treated timber, dried for different periods of time. Increased drying time significantly reduced leaching of Cr and As. The addition of a synthetic humic acid increased leaching of Cu and As, but reduced leaching of Cr. Putative risk assessments conducted using short-term copper leaching data suggested protocol design may influence decisions made regarding the environmental acceptability of such preservatives.
Hingston
J A
JA
Department of Environmental Science and Technology, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Royal School of Mines Building, London, UK.
Moore
J
J
Bacon
A
A
Lester
J N
JN
Murphy
R J
RJ
Collins
C D
CD
D001149:Arsenates / Q000737:chemistry*; D001151:Arsenic / Q000737:chemistry; D002857:Chromium / Q000737:chemistry; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry; D003890:Desiccation; D006812:Humic Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D010575:Pesticides / Q000737:chemistry*; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012492:Salts / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors; D014872:Water Movements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000517:prevention & control; D014934:Wood
D001149:Arsenates; D006812:Humic Substances; D010575:Pesticides; D012492:Salts; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002857:Chromium; C040890:chromated copper arsenate; D003300:Copper; D001151:Arsenic