Variability in evaluating environmental impacts of treated wood.

Preservative-treated wood contains components that may be toxic to non-target organisms if released into the environment in sufficient quantities. Numerous studies have been conducted to determine the rate of preservative release from treated wood and/or the extent of their subsequent accumulation in the environment. These studies have produced a wide range of results, with a corresponding range of interpretations and recommendations. This paper reviews research on wood preservative leaching and environmental accumulation and discusses sources of the variability in research findings. Variables such as wood properties, pressure treatment techniques, construction practices, exposure conditions, and site conditions are discussed. 2004 This article is in PDF format (file size: 730 kb). To download this article, right click on the link immediately below and choose "save target as". To view the article, left click the link immediately below.
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Variability in evaluating environmental impacts of treated wood.   (2004)

Preservative-treated wood contains components that may be toxic to non-target organisms if released into the environment in sufficient quantities. Numerous studies have been conducted to determine the rate of preservative release from treated wood and/or the extent of their subsequent accumulation in the environment. These studies have produced a wide range of results, with a corresponding range of interpretations and recommendations. This paper reviews research on wood preservative leaching and environmental accumulation and discusses sources of the variability in research findings. Variables such as wood properties, pressure treatment techniques, construction practices, exposure conditions, and site conditions are discussed.

Author: Lebow, Stan T.; Cooper, Paul; Lebow, Patricia K.

Source: Res. Pap. FPL-RP-620. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, 2004. 10 pages

Citation: Lebow, Stan T.; Cooper, Paul; Lebow, Patricia K.  2004.  Variability in evaluating environmental impacts of treated wood.  Res. Pap. FPL-RP-620. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, 2004. 10 pages.