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Pressure treated wood is used in both commercial and residential wood projects and structures. In residential projects it has been used to build decks, play structures, picnic tables and more. The benefits of pressure treated wood include a greater resistance to rotting and decay caused by the elements, insects, and aging. Pressure treated wood is unfortunately treated with arsenic. The preservative , chromated copper arsenate (CCA) , presently accounts for ninety percent of all arsenic produced. Arsenic is a toxic material and a carcinogen (cancer causing material). This makes pressure treated wood hazardous, because the CCA from this wood can leak out into the environment and cause adverse health consequences.
The government''s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the manufacturers of CCA-containing pressure treated wood agreed in 2001 to stop the manufacturing of all CCA pressure treated wood for residential use by the end of 2003/beginning of 2004. There are alternatives to CCA treated wood on the market, which may provide safer alternatives to pressure treated wood. These include composite woods, arsenic free products containing the preservatives ACQ (Alkaline Copper Quartenary) or CBA (Copper Azole), and denser woods like redwood and cedar.
Arsenic from pressure treated wood can enter the environment and be found in food, water, soil, and air. The dangers of pressure treated wood used in the residential setting are that exposure to this toxic can happen when sanding or sawing this wood or the chemical can seep into the surrounding air and dirt and potentially expose people to its harmful effects. Children can be especially at risk if the dirt surrounding their pressure treated wood play structures contains arsenic as kids often put dirt in their mouths or put their hands in their mouths after contact with pressure treated wood, dirt or water in this environment.
The EPA has not recommended that structures containing pressure treated wood be torn down, but they do recommend taking precautions to protect against arsenic exposure. Painting pressure treated wood, or applying coatings and sealants may help to protect against the risks of arsenic. To date, there is still insufficient data regarding whether or not painting pressure treated wood protects against arsenic exposure. In the meantime, they recommend taking common sense precautions, such as limiting direct exposure to CCA pressure treated woods, preventing children from eating the dirt surrounding these structures, keeping food from direct contact with this wood and washing up thoroughly after exposure to CCA pressure treated wood.
The potential effects of exposure to CCA pressure treated wood can be hazardous to your health. There are medical tests that can be conducted to test the levels of human exposure to arsenic. If you feel you have been injured as a result of exposure to CCA treated wood, or even after painting pressure treated wood you have still suffered from arsenic exposure, an attorney can advise you of your legal rights and options in a personal injury case.
Pressure treated wood using arsenic, an effective poison for hundreds of years, was used in deck construction for many years but is no longer sold for residential use. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned most uses of arsenic as a pesticide...
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