WASHINGTON (AP) - Children could face an increased lifetime risk of developing lung or bladder cancer from using playground equipment made of wood treated with arsenic, the nation's top product safety official said Friday.
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February 11, 2003
By Mary Pickett, M.D.
Harvard Medical School
How does this article relate to me?
The image of children at the playground has always seemed a picture of health. But playground equipment constructed with pressure-treated wood is a genuine health concern for children, as are other structures made out of this material. The danger is probably small. Nonetheless, reasonable efforts should be made to prevent children from getting contaminants on their hands. Arsenic, a carcinogen, is present on the surface of most treated wood for years after the wood is processed. It does not pass easily through the skin. Children ingest it, though, if their hands are not quickly washed, because they commonly put their hands into their mouths.
As recently as 1995, 94 percent of the wood used for outdoor purposes (decks, tree houses, fences, picnic tables, retaining walls, signposts, docks, and play structures) was saturated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA). The application of CCA involves exposing the wood to high pressures to encourage penetration by the chemical. This chemical acts as a pesticide, preventing termite infestation, and it also slows mold growth. Pressure-treated wood may be recognized when it is new by a greenish tint that the wood carries. However, this tint fades with time and it is not a reliable way to distinguish it from other woods. If you do not know the origin of outdoor wood, you should assume that it is CCA pressure-treated if it is made out of any wood other than cedar or redwood (naturally rot-resistant woods) and if it was (or will be) installed prior to the end of this year.
What changes do I need to make?
Some practical precautions can limit your child's exposure to arsenic from pressure-treated wood:
- Don't allow your child or pets to play underneath a wooden deck. Dirt below decks collects high concentrations of arsenic.
- Seal surfaces made with pressure-treated wood at least every two years. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends an oil-based semi-transparent stain. It is not as effective to use opaque stains or latex-based products.
- Wash your child’s hands (and your own) after contact with pressure-treated wood.
- Line gardening beds with plastic or use untreated wood (cedar or redwood) to line gardening beds.
- Never burn pressure-treated wood. This wood should either be recycled to another use or should be disposed of in the "non-clean" woodpile at a local landfill or waste transfer station.
What can I expect in the future?
Arsenic is a natural chemical and it exists in very small quantities throughout our environment, in dirt, water and the air that we breathe. Eliminating CCA pressure-treated wood will not eliminate our environmental arsenic exposure completely. However, wood manufacturers have voluntarily committed to eliminating the production of CCA-treated wood by December of this year. After this, it is likely that most wood will be treated instead with ammoniacal copper quaternary compound (ACQ), a product that has not been identified as a human health concern.
Related Areas:
Cancer And The Environment
Children's Health: Safety
Infant Illness And Injury Prevention
