Environment

Arsenic – Poisonous Wood

Posted by prevent on Sep 6, 2011

Most of the pressure-treated, “outdoor” wood used in playground equipment, decks and picnic tables is preserved with the arsenic containing compound known as CCA (chromated copper arsenate). The U.S. EPA has announced the phase-out of arsenic treated wood for residential uses, responding to health concerns from unnecessary exposures, especially to children, and demands from citizen advocacy organizations. National Academy of Sciences reports that arsenic can affect every system in our bodies. Arsenic, even in very small amounts, is known to cause skin, lung and bladder cancer and is linked to diabetes, heart disease and other health effects. Therefore, we...