News Coverage
Arsenic: Treated Wood Continues to Leak Carcinogen
Published September 2, 2002
Pressure treated wood continues to leak arsenic for the life of the deck or playground equipment and sealing the wood only prevents seepage for up to six months, according to a study released last week by the Environmental Working Group.
In conducting its study, EWG took more than 200 samples from 45 states and found that arsenic levels remain at dangerous levels for up to 20 years, considered the life of the wooden structures. "Arsenic levels don't decline with the age of the wood," said Jane Houlihan, a vice president at EWG. More than 90 percent of the wood used in America's playgrounds, parks and backyards is treated with chromate copper arsenate (CCA) to make the wood resistant to bugs and rotting. But the preservative causes cancer and the U.S. EPA is currently studying whether children who come in contact with it face a greater chance of getting lung, bladder or skin cancer...
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