Methods for Mitigating the Environmental Risks Associated with Wood Preservatives

Abstract

As noted in earlier chapters, the treatment of wood is both art and science. Wood is a variable material; treatment results tend to vary with the preservative and wood species and even within boards of the same species. This means that treated wood often contains a range of preservative retentions. Some pieces will have less than the desired retention, while others may have much more. In aggregate, however, the goal is for the retention in a combined sample of many pieces of wood treated at the same time to have the required chemical loading. The minimum retention is then set to ensure that even those pieces with less than the minimum aggregate retention have an adequate amount of chemical to provide protection. The goal of the wood treater is to produce a relatively narrow distribution of retentions so that no single board is either heavily overtreated or undertreated. One way to approach this problem is through the application of national standards.

Citation

Hayward, Dennis; Lebow, Stan T.; Brooks, Kenneth M. 2011. Methods for mitigating the environmental risks associated with wood preservatives. In: Managing Treated Wood in Aquatic Environments, pp.407-433.