Guest guest Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Forwarded... Hey Everybody, I was asked some questions this afternoon by a man after learning his wife had washed their CCA-treated deck with bleach. After taking two hours to put together my response I realised it should be shared as it contained a wealth of information. I apologize for the length but hope you will see the knowledge it provides is a valuable resource. Take care everybody and please keep safe deborah To answer your concerns about CCA wood I have tried to be thorough. Chlorine causes arsenic to leach from CCA-treated wood. Anything acidic can cause this also. For example, acid rain, deck washes and brighteners, fertilizers, cleaners that are citric based, compost, etc. Anything acidic will also cause the arsenic to change into it’s easily breathable arsine form, a highly toxic gas. You should ensure that on rainy days, especially drizzling rain where the arsenic is not washed away rapidly, but will be more apt to offgas and drift in your windows that they are kept closed. Do not store things under your deck or allow children and animals underneath or grow food around the structure. See David Stiwell’s plant uptake report. _http://www.noccawood.ca/articles.htm_ (http://www.noccawood.ca/articles.htm) articles on offgassing of arsenic _http://www.noccawood.ca/cgi-scripts/csNewsPro/csNews.cgi?command=viewnews & dat abase=Can%20cca%20offgas%2edb_ (http://www.noccawood.ca/cgi-scripts/csNewsPro/csNews.cgi?command=viewnews & datab\ ase=Can%20cca%20offgas.db) Zinc and aluminum in contact with CCA arsenic treated wood also cause arsine gas to form so ensure that aluminum siding or galvanized flashing is not coming in contact with CCA-treated wood. While aluminum and galvanized screws and other fasteners will eventually corrode in contact with CCA treated-wood, they are absolutely unsafe with the new ACQ formula or any copper-based wood. Copper will produce a chemical reaction that will corrode these metals quickly and some structures have collapsed. Stainless steel fasteners are essential. ACQ is a chemical formula the while at present appears safer than CCA, without the highly toxic trivalent arsenic and hexavalent chromium, it is still a chemical formulated wood and requires the same protection as CCA wood does when working with it. It should never be used in aquatic conditions. Numerous studies by Dr Judith Wies and other have proven the the toxicity to aquatic life. See numerous refences here _http://www.noccawood.ca/cgi-scripts/csNewsPro/csNews.cgi?command=viewnews & dat abase=Don%27t%20use%20arsenic%20or%20copper%20treated%20woods%20in%20aquatic%2 0conditions%2edb_ (http://www.noccawood.ca/cgi-scripts/csNewsPro/csNews.cgi?command=viewnews & datab\ ase=Don't%20use%20arsenic%20or%20copper%20treated%20woods% 20in%20aquatic%20conditions.db) CCA arsenic- treated wood has been banned in well over 30 countries and work to stop the industry from moving their treating facilities to third world countries and those that have not banned them are underway. At this time that success has been very limited as these poor countries need employment badly and do not fully understand the pollution problem that well be draining their resources soon. Find phase out link here _http://www.noccawood.ca/_ (http://www.noccawood.ca/) find wood treament plant pollution links here _http://www.noccawood.ca/cgi-scripts/csNewsPro/csNews.cgi?command=viewnews & dat abase=Wood%20Treatment%20Industry%20Contamination%20News%2edb_ (http://www.noccawood.ca/cgi-scripts/csNewsPro/csNews.cgi?command=viewnews & datab\ ase=Wood%20Tr eatment%20Industry%20Contamination%20News.db) I suggest seeing that your wife has washed your deck already several times with chlorine that she first throw out any footwear she was using. She should get a segmented hair analysis taken from hair the full length of her hair where each month’s growth can be examined for arsenic. _http://www.nohsc.gov.au/OHSInformation/NOHSCPublications/fulltext/docs/h6/744 ..htm_ (http://www.nohsc.gov.au/OHSInformation/NOHSCPublications/fulltext/docs/h6/744.h\ tm) " Metabolism and excretion Absorbed arsenic is rapidly eliminated through the kidney either unchanged or as cacodylic acid and methylarsonic acid. Inorganic arsenic is excreted unchanged in the urine during the first hours after the start of exposure. After about eight hours most of the excreted arsenic is as cacodylic acid and methylarsonic acid. About three-quarters of a single dose of trivalent inorganic arsenic is eliminated within a few days or, at most, within a week, with the remainder being dispersed in the tissues. In the skin, brain and skeleton the concentrations decrease rather slowly. The health effects after long term exposure to arsenic are possibly just as much a result of continuous exposure to excessive amounts of arsenic as they are of accumulation of arsenic. " So finding body burden is a difficult task. You may also want to test soil under your deck and the steps. As arsenic moves very little down in soil beyond 2-3 inches without help such as raking, foot traffic etc., these are good areas to check or at the base of a vertical board. 11.6 Results from Soil Core Samples " The results from the cores collected below decks... suggest that the CCA treated decks impact at least the upper 3 inches of soil below the decks. " And " Data indicates that the maximum concentration of arsenic were found within the first 2 inches of the soil within all the cores. " See graph p. 33 and Table p34. Here is an excerpt from a study on decks found at the care research link, a group that has done much to help bring in legislation and where numerous studies can be viewed. _http://www.ccaresearch.org/_ (http://www.ccaresearch.org/) The study " metal Concentrations in Soils... " . Page 32/96 CCA wood should never be power-washed either as that will break the bond with the wood releasing the transdermal arsenic and other toxic chemicals. Anything alkaline will cause the wood to leach hexavalent chromium. This is the highly toxic form made famous in the Erin Brokovitch movie and recent studies have shown it to be far more toxic than even known then. Chomium news _http://www.noccawood.ca/cgi-scripts/csNewsPro/csNews.cgi?command=viewnews & dat abase=Chromium%20In%20The%20News%2edb_ (http://www.noccawood.ca/cgi-scripts/csNewsPro/csNews.cgi?command=viewnews & datab\ ase=Chromium%20In%20The%20News.db) CCA wood needs a full regime of safety measures when working with it. Wear a safety-approved HEPA mask, neoprene gloves designed to protect you from chemicals, arms should be covered with long sleeves, full pants, and footwear are all necessary. Eye protection is needed as well. All clothes must be washed separately and you should change before entering your home so you do not deposit the toxic sawdust on your carpets and furniture which are especially dangerous in this easily breathable form. Never eat, drink, smoke or use the washroom without first washing after contact with CCA treated wood. CCA wood should never be burned. " A single 12-foot, 2 by 6 piece of wood contains enough arsenic (one ounce), to kill two hundred and fifty people. . A single tablespoon of this ash can kill a 150-lb human being if ingested. " Barrie, Deborah Elaine, CCA In the Environment 2000 Now to your question about why if these dangers are known why is the public not warned? In the mid 1980’s the USEPA began a review of treated wood after concerns were reported. The Industry in the 1980’s launched a campaign to stop the arsenic- treated formula from being banned and won as the Consumer Product Safety Commission produced a flawed document proclaiming the safety of the wood. The industry did promise to send out safety information sheets but not only reneged but also actually claimed the safety of the wood itself It entered the market for uses that were never meant for this wood. An the legacy we now suffer from was sealed. The industry knew about the dangers in the 1960’s however. This was discovered in the trial of Jimmy Sipes in the late 80’s. He died a few years ago from what is believed was complications of his CCA poisoning. His lawyer, David McCrea of Bloomington, Indiana, surprised the court with an insider document. It should have rocked the world and had the wood banned. This evidence that was introduced during the trial as a memo from Koppers, Inc. (a CCA wood treating company) reporting that they knew of illness in those sawing this wood as early as I968, long before it made it’s way to playgrounds and backyards. McCrea, David. 1988. Arsenic in lumber. Citizen’s Clearinghouse for Hazardous Wastes, Inc. Environmental Health Monthly Study on Jimmy Sipes and others Peters, H.A., Croft, W.A., Woolson, E.A., Darcy, B.A., Olson, M.A.: " Hematological, Dermal and Neuropsychological Disease From Burning and Power Sawing Chrominum-Copper-Arsenic(CCA)-Treated Wood (September 30): 2-7. David, I consider a friend, and most certainly one of the heroes to those who have suffered from CCA poisoning and those who joined together to bring in it’s ban and continue to work for more legislation to protect from the existing structures and the waste problem it has created. The CCA formula was orginally invented for use in mines in 1933 by an Indian scientist, Santi Kamesam, to prevent deaths from support beam collapse. It was an honourable beginning but tests carried out in labs failed to hold true in the environment and lax treatment plant standards furthered the problem. From my access to information files I provide this information that is not readily available. " A recent study by a consumer protection association showed that most of the CCA pressure-treated lumber sold in eastern Canada is of very poor quality, because it consists of wood species unsuited for such treatment and because the treatment itself is substandard (Pepin, 1990). This indicates that the consumers are not getting good value for their money. In addition, the study by Pepin (1990), as well as observations by the senior author on CCA-treated wood for sale in lumber stores, indicate that the surface of some of the lumber contains considerable amounts of dried or crystallized treatment solution. This presents a potential health hazard because it could lead to increased dermal irritation and to increased absorption of the chemicals through the skin. " ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH, AND CONSUMER CONCERNS RELATED TO WOOD PRESSURE-TREATED WITH HEAVY-DUTY PRESERVATIVES (CCA, CREOSOTE, PENTACHLOROPHENOL) D.Riedel Great Lakes Health Effects Program J. Harrison, E. Baranowski and L. Segal Product Safety Division Environmental Health Directorate Health Protection Branch Health and Welfare Canada Ottawa, Ont. K1A 0L2 In the early years of 2000 activists, victims and NGO’s joined together to bring in the ban by exposing the truth. Scientists like David Stilwell , Katja Gorney, Judith Wiess , Dr Dieter Riedel and many in Florida and other places produced studies that could no longer be dismissed. The EU recognized the dangers as well and the industry was forced to hand out information sheets and put warning stickers on CCA- treated wood. They were given time to use up of their supplies of CCA formula, (unbelievable) and the phase out this product by Dec. 31. 2003. _http://www.pmra-arla.gc.ca/english/pdf/fact/fs_cca-e.pdf_ (http://www.pmra-arla.gc.ca/english/pdf/fact/fs_cca-e.pdf) Despite a new study by CPCS warning of increased cancer threats to children no action was or has been taken on existing structures. _http://search.cpsc.gov/query.html?col=pubweb & qt=cca & x=14 & y=17_ (http://search.cpsc.gov/query.html?col=pubweb & qt=cca & x=14 & y=17) Linkto EU submissions on cca treated wood which I was proud to participate in like all the others. _http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/chemicals/legislation/markrestr/arsenic/contri butions.htm_ (http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/chemicals/legislation/markrestr/arsenic/contribu\ tions.htm) I hope this answers your questions and if there is anything else you would like to know or any documents or studies you would like then please contact me or check out my website. Take care and please keep safe. Deborah Deborah Elaine Barrie 4 Catherine Street Smiths Falls, On Canada K7A 3Z8 (613)284-8259 _deborah_ (deborah) _http://www.noccawood.ca_ (http://www.noccawood.ca/) to list service at website What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal. Albert Pine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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