Careful What You Burn
Subscribe to The Environmentalist by Email
We all know that as a result of modernization and the industrial revolution, our lifestyles have been significantly improved. With the rise of the chemical industry, amongst others, convenience and safety have grown exponentially and developed countries are now accustomed to technological advances that improve our lives. There are hundreds of examples of this ranging from the discovery of the polymerization of plastics, to disinfection of water using chlorine. However, we have learned over the years that some of these “improvements” can be detrimental to ourselves and the environment.
For years, the chemical chromated copper arsenate has been used to pressure treat lumber in order to reduce rotting and microbial degradation of wood. Pressure lumber is able to withstand years of environmental abuse in applications where untreated lumber would fail. Millions of boards of pressure treated lumber have been manufactured for years, and the US has the highest annual prodcution of CCA.
Arsenic is a naturally occurring chemical in the environment. However, by chemically synthesizing arsenic for pressure treated lumber, a unnaturally high concentration of arsenic is exposed to the environment. Arsenic is a carcinogen, which means that is can cause certain types of cancer. If arsenic concentrations in the soil increase, then these unsafe levels contaminate groundwater, and pollute our drinking water.
Once the pressure treated lumber’s lifecycle is over, there are really only a few routes of disposal available for the lumber. Some states are more progressive than others in regulating solid waste landfills. Construction and demolition wood which is often treated with arsenic, should be separated from conventional landfills and placed in landfills with special liners to prevent arsenic from leaching into the soil.
One of the most common practices is to burn pressure treated lumber. Unless this is done at a special facility that can trap the pollutants, burning pressure treated lumber is a very bad idea. Arsenic gas is highly toxic and the residual ash that is left over is considered hazardous waste.
If you are going to be burning lumber, be sure to find out if it has arsenic in it. Do yourself and the environment a favor!
Visit: www.arsenichometest.com
Subscribe to The Environmentalist by Email
January 18th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
I really felt like this was an actual blog about environmentalism. You really got me into it. So good job.
Check me out on the mic now
http://careerpeople.blogspot.com