HLTH - Arsenic and pressure-treated wood

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http://www.boston.com/dailynews/120/region/Health_group_says_arsenic_in_p:.shtml

Health group says arsenic in pressure-treated wood increases cancer risk

By Associated Press, 4/30/2001 03:00

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) A group of Connecticut doctors and public health officials is warning that arsenic levels in pressure-treated wood are high enough to pose an increased risk of cancer and other health problems.

But Environmental & Human Health Inc., a foundation-supported group based in North Haven, says the risks can be mitigated if the public is made aware of the hazards and takes precautions.

Nancy Alderman, president of EHHI, says most people do not know about the potential danger from pressure-treated wood, even though state health officials have plenty of information about it.

''When it first came out, the EPA wanted it labeled because of the amount of arsenic in it and because they knew there would be exposures,'' Alderman said, referring to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

''But the lumber industry started lobbying and said they would do it voluntarily, and now they've gotten into the stores and people have no idea,'' Alderman said.

A compound that includes arsenic and copper, called chromated copper arsenate, or CCA, is used to protect pressure-treated wood from deterioration. EHHI says rain can cause the compound to leach out, leaving a significant amount of residue on wood surfaces.

The health and environmental group says children can ingest CCA by playing on wooden playscapes, and families can ingest it by eating vegetables grown in gardens that are bordered with pressure-treated wood.

Wood industry groups, such as the American Wood Preservers Institute, say studies have found that CCA-treated wood is safe and exposure to arsenic is minuscule.

The industry groups say concerns about CCA-treated wood are fueled by a failure to differentiate between wood that has been treated and the CCA preservative itself.

The industry does acknowledge that CCA is a potentially hazardous material, but it says it can be applied only by certified workers in government regulated facilities.

But David Stilwell, a chemist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, has studied CCA-treated wood and concluded that it may ''significantly impact'' human health, according to EHHI leaders.

Stilwell conducted a field study in which he examined the soil under wooden home decks up to 15 years old. He found that the average level of arsenic under the decks was 76 milligrams per kilogram of soil, more than seven times the state health limit.

Stilwell also concluded that levels of arsenic, a known carcinogen, tend to increase with a deck's age.

Stilwell recommended keeping children and pets away from soil under decks, and coating decks with paints or stains. He also urged people to line raised garden beds with plastic if they are bordered with pressure-treated wood.

A fact sheet from the state Department of Public Health suggests taking many of the same measures. It recommends applying a sealant to decks and playscapes made from CCA-treated wood every two years.

''It is possible for a child to be exposed to dislodgeable arsenic at home, at a playground, and at school, making this an everyday kind of exposure for such children,'' the DPH fact sheet says.

-- Anonymous, April 30, 2001


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