Timber with a green-grey hue 鈥 treated with copper chromium arsenic (CCA) 鈥 is a common sight in New Zealand. But how many people are aware that it听, is associated with health risks and is a toxic waste complicating the transition to a circular bioeconomy?
Other countries, including听, the听听and the EU, have stopped or restricted the use of CCA, moved to safer alternatives and established viable end-of-life disposal options.
The ingredients of CCA are the heavy metals copper, chromium and arsenic. They don鈥檛 decompose and can鈥檛 be destroyed like organic compounds by incineration.
The heavy metals听, polluting soil and water. When CCA-treated timber is burned, most arsenic becomes volatile and pollutes the air, while chromium and copper contaminate the ash.
The World Health Organization (WHO) lists arsenic among the top ten chemicals of听. It is a confirmed carcinogen. Chromium and copper are not without health risks either.
Banned or restricted elsewhere
In the early 2000s, the US Environmental Protection Agency and the timber industry agreed to听. This was driven by concerns about human exposure to arsenic from playground equipment, decks, picnic tables and other uses.
Most other developed countries followed with similar restrictions. CCA is听听as a wood preservative in the EU.
But New Zealand鈥檚 treated-timber market is still dominated by CCA. It is used abundantly in playgrounds and residential buildings with a high risk of human exposure. This is despite Standards New 蘑菇视频在线观看having approved听.
New Zealand鈥檚 Environmental Protection Authority also听recommends听building playgrounds from alternative materials, providing consumer information at point of sale and greater dissemination of precautionary health advice. But these recommendations have been ignored in New 蘑菇视频在线观看for two decades.
Stakeholders have not adopted the听听developed jointly by Standards Australia and Standards New Zealand. The standard contains a consumer safety information sheet, which states CCA-treated timber cannot be used for products in direct contact with foodstuffs, garden furniture, exterior seating, children鈥檚 play equipment, patio and domestic decking and handrails.
It also details appropriate disposal and outlines precautions during handling:
avoid sawing
wear dust masks, gloves and eye protection
wash hands and face after working with CCA-treated timber.
Environmental and health risks
New Zealand听excluded environmental risks听from its CCA safety assessment. Yet environmental risks were leading reasons to phase out CCA overseas.
There are several domestic examples of environmental pollution by CCA.
听in the air during winter听exceeds New Zealand鈥檚 ambient air-quality guidelines. This is caused by inappropriate burning of CCA-treated timber in log fires and burn-offs by the agricultural sector.
Arsenic concentration was听听in slow-flowing Marlborough aquifers.
While soil contamination is localised around CCA-treated timber, these hotspots can be frequent.听, for example, feature 500-600 posts per hectare. Land-use change for urban development will require听significant remediation.
Improper disposal of ash from log burners in green bins causes听. Deliberate听听has also been uncovered.
In a study of 35 countries, New 蘑菇视频在线观看was the only one where arsenic contamination of residential indoor dust听听for children.
No safe disposal
CCA is also an obstacle in the听transition to a circular bioeconomy. Reuse of timber is a well established procedure. It prioritises reuse over thermal utilisation (using it as fuel to harness its energy).
However, there is no viable reuse for CCA-treated timber waste. The problem is even bigger. CCA-treated timber听cannot be separated from untreated timber听in demolition waste.
In New Zealand, CCA-treated timber is to be disposed in secure landfills, forcing future generations to manage the toxic CCA听. Burning in appropriate facilities is the only viable disposal method for CCA-treated timber 鈥 it is the mandatory disposal option in Germany. However, no sizeable waste incineration plant has been commissioned in New Zealand.
A brief visit to any school, playground, picnic area, domestic garden or DIY shop demonstrates New Zealand鈥檚 comparatively relaxed attitude towards CCA. Government and industry state to never burn CCA-treated timber, but this is not communicated to the public effectively.
Recent advice at my local DIY stores included, 鈥測es, it鈥檚 standard for playground equipment鈥 and 鈥渋t can be burned or recycled鈥. Preservative-treated wood is frequently sold as firewood. At my last check, three out of the top 50 firewood listings on the auction site TradeMe were听CCA-treated timber waste.
New Zealand鈥檚 industry-led approach has failed. The first step to tackle the CCA liability is easy, as alternative preservatives are approved. Restricting the use of CCA-treated timber or introducing a听product stewardship scheme听will ensure nothing is added to New Zealand鈥檚 CCA legacy.
Ensuring our children do not have to inherit the existing CCA legacy is more difficult. We need to commission a suitable incineration facility.
CCA-treated timber is cheaper than safer alternatives but only if disposal costs are outsourced to future generations.
This article was originally published on听
Disclosure statement
Clemens Altaner is Science Team Leader of the New 蘑菇视频在线观看Dryland Forests Initiative (NZDFI). He has received funding from industry and government for work on naturally durable timber.
