News Coverage
Playing with our health: New alarms being raised about the risks of pressure-treated lumber
Published March 15, 2003
What's greenish-grey, leaks toxins and is soon to be revealed by melting snow in backyards across the country? No, this is no alien threat, no B-movie promo. Rather it's something as commonplace as wooden play sets and patios.
For many parents, the backyard jungle gym has provided a safe haven for growing limbs. But recent disclosures are sending out red lights on this green wood.
A new study by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) -- the agency that routinely tests products in the U.S. marketplace -- has revealed that children who play on pressure-treated wooden play equipment face an increased risk of bladder and lung cancer from arsenic exposure.
Wood infused with the pesticide CCA, or chromated copper arsenate, has been in use since the 1930s. Because it withstands rot, it has been a popular building material for both residential and commercial purposes and is widely used for structures ranging from play sets to picnic tables, decks and boardwalks.
The recent CPSC study revealed a cancer risk to children from two to 100 in one million. This figure surpasses both the U.S. and Canadian government's acceptable risk level of 1 in one million.
The CPSC study comes on the heels of one recently released in Canada. Environmental Defence Canada tested sand in 58 playgrounds in seven major cities.
The study indicated that more than half of the playgrounds tested had arsenic levels above the federal safety guidelines for soil.
Child health advocates have been drawing attention to the hazards of pressure-treated lumber for some time. They say that the particular behaviour of children, such as frequent hand-to-mouth contact, put them at increased risk for arsenic exposure when playing on and around CCA-treated play equipment.
Don Houston, director of Environmental Programs with the Canadian Institute of Child Health in Ottawa, says this latest study echoes what the CICH has been saying for a long time. "It's something of concern for the CICH that children don't play on treated wood if at all possible," says Houston. "Arsenic is a known carcinogen, but it's also a neurotoxicant -- it affects the development of the brain, so we worry about that."
Over the past few years, an increasing number of municipalities in both Canada and the U.S. have removed treated wooden playground structures following tests that found higher than acceptable levels of arsenic both in the surrounding soil and on the wood surface.
A roster of environmental and health organizations -- ranging from the Environmental Working Group and Healthy Building Network in the United States, to the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and the Cancer Society in Canada -- have called for a ban on the use of this wood in playground equipment.
Responding to mounting pressure by such organizations, the CPSC has announced it will consider the petition to ban the use of CCA wood this month. However, CPSC staff have also recommended deferring action on the ban until finalization of an agreement between CCA manufacturers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to phase out CCA wood for most consumer uses.
As of Dec. 31, 2003, wood treaters will no longer be able to use CCA to treat wood for use in play structures, decks, picnic tables, landscaping timbers, residential fencing, patios, walkways and boardwalks. Commercial and industrial uses are so far unaffected.
"The companies have seen the writing on the wall two or three years ago and that's why they negotiated with the EPA," says Houston. "It allowed them to continue operating while they transferred (to alternatives)."
Houston is referring to companies that have made or sold wood treated with the arsenic compound that are becoming targets of a growing wave of litigation in the United States.
He believes the negotiated CCA phaseout, which affects the wood treatment industry in both Canada and the U.S., presents a mixed message to consumers. "We would have preferred an outright ban," he says.
"The worst part of the phaseout is that the lumber yards can continue selling it for a year or two later ... until there are no stocks left," says Houston.
Houston also questions whether all retailers are supplying consumer safety information. In 2001, Environment Canada spearheaded an information campaign promoting voluntary labelling of all treated wood, from tags on individual pieces of lumber to stickers and signs in hardware stores.
"I would like to see some enforcement of the retailers that they make sure everybody who buys it gets one of these information sheets, and that their staff is not giving the wrong message."
BLAMES GOVERNMENT
For Deborah Elaine Barrie, it's the government that's delivering a false message. The Canadian environmental health activist has been researching the effects of CCA for several years.
"You can label all the wood you want, but people do not believe their government will (permit the sale of) a product that could hurt or kill them," Barrie says.
While the phaseout is an industry initiative, the government has been re-evaluating heavy duty wood preservatives, including CCA. In Canada, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), within Health Canada, is the official department which regulates the use of pesticides. Its re-evaluation began over a decade ago. Six years ago, the Canadian regulatory agency began working collaboratively with the EPA on a joint reevaluation of CCA.
"The results for the kids (exposure) assessment -- play structures, decks -- are expected in June or July of this year. Once we finish that we'll be able to take action if necessary," says PMRA spokesperson Marc Richard.
For Barrie, the process is too slow. "(The PMRA study) has been announced many times that it will be released, but it's always delayed," she says.
Taking another route, some health organizations are targetting day cares. They are advocating that they either remove or seal CCA play equipment.
"In the City of Ottawa, our medical officer of health sent a letter to all the day cares saying if you've got pressure-treated wood you've got to do something about it," says Houston.
That message has not reached all Canadian cities.
NO GUIDELINES
In Newfoundland, the Department of Health and Community Services oversees the licensing of childcare centres. According to spokesperson Diane Keough, the department has specific safety and size requirements for outdoor play structures, but gives no guidelines as to types of building materials.
"We would base all of our information from PMRA, and they have not concluded that CCA-treated wood poses any unreasonable risk to the public or the environment," says Keough.
Gail Stanford is the director of the Daybreak Children's Centre in St. John's. It is one of the 92 licensed childcare centres in the greater Avalon region. Daybreak installed a pressure-treated outdoor climber a few years ago, and Stanford believes they are not alone -- that many day cares have CCA play sets.
Stanford says Daybreak has not received any information regarding the potential health risks associated with pressure-treated wood from any government agency.
"Daybreak is recognized as one of the (day cares) that paves the way for other centres," says Stanford. "If something comes up, we'd be the first to say, 'let's make some changes here.' "
Meanwhile, Daybreak has decided to look into a suitable sealant for their play equipment.
The Avalon East School Board does not have a policy about building materials for play structures on its school grounds. Manager of maintenance, Pat Royle, says pressure-treated wood is used in some instances, such as structural posts for play equipment, fencing and retaining beds.
This kind of news is disheartening for people like Don Houston.
"You still see (CCA wood) in playgrounds in schools and day cares," he says. "People just don't realize that they've got a little toxic dump in their backyard."
HEALTH TIPS
ALTERNATIVES TO CCA WOOD
- Treated wood alternatives now registered for use in Canada, include ACQ, CA and Copper Azole.
- Naturally rot-resistant wood alternatives such as larch, cedar and redwood.
- Other materials including metal, plastic and concrete.
REDUCING EXPOSURE TO ARSENIC FROM CCA-TREATED PLAYSETS
- Parents and caregivers should thoroughly wash the child's hands with soap and water immediately after outdoor play, especially before eating.
- Children should be discouraged from eating while on CCA-treated playgrounds.
- Use a sealant: PMRA recommends a penetrating oil-based stain. Do not use something that forms a film, such as polyurethane or paint, because of the preparation that's required of the surface. These usually require bleaches which actually accelerates the leaching.
- Remove CCA playsets. Never burn CCA wood as the smoke and ash are extremely toxic.