IRG Documents Database and Compendium


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An environmental assessment of timber treatment plants in Australia
1999 - IRG/WP 99-50124
Australian Standard AS 2843 Timber Preservation Plant Safety Code, sets the specifications for the design and operation of timber treatment plants in Australia. The Timber Preservers' Association of Australia has carried out an environmental survey of timber treatment plants throughout Australia using the operational checklist provided in Appendix C of Part 2 of the Standard. Third party ...
J Norton, K Riley


Practical consequences of the clarification of the chemical mechanism of CCA fixation to wood
1983 - IRG/WP 3220
Practical consequences derived from the chemical investigation of the mechanism of fixation of CCA to the wood constituents are discussed. Among these, formulas for the calculation of the time of hexavalent chrome fixation are presented. Furthermore, three parameters are shown to be important to the long-term effectiveness of CCA-treated timber: (i) the temperature of treatment, (ii) the initial p...
A Pizzi


Environmental situation on wood preservation industries in Bangladesh
2000 - IRG/WP 00-50148
The hazard that wood preservative chemicals pose to people and the environment is serious. The lack of information, legislation and awareness create an unfavorable situation on wood preservation industries. In this regard, three wood preservation industries have been visited to collect the information about pollution. It was observed that different steps have been taken to minimize the contaminati...
K Akhter


Kiln drying of CCA-treated wood - Some safety and environmental considerations
1987 - IRG/WP 3443
Vapours and condensate from a condenser kiln in which CCA-treated wood was being dried have been collected and analysed. The concentrations of arsenic, copper and chromium found in the vapours from the drying process were well below Swedish threshold limit values. The contents of arsenic and chromium were also low in the condensate, although the copper content was fairly high. The latter result wa...
J Jermer, B Lundberg


Assessment of dehydrogenase activity, fluoride content and total chromium content of soil profiles exposed to preservative treated wood within a model system
1993 - IRG/WP 93-10015
The development and prospective use of a closed model system to facilitate study of a number of indicators of environmental impact of wood preservatives laboratory conditions has been described (IRG/WP/2395-92). Chemical analysis of leachate samples collected from drained soil profiles containing creosoted pole sections remedially treated with a chromated fluoride preservative indicated small incr...
G M Smith, D C R Sinclair, A Bruce, H J Staines


Life-cycle assessement of treated wood: A view from the roa
1996 - IRG/WP 96-50078
Life Cycle Assessement (LCA) is being used increasingly as a tool to structure information on the environmental characteristics of material and processes. This paper is based on the experience gained from our LCA studies on treated wood products over the last 4 years. The comprehensive and logical examination af the information available on treated timber provided by LCA has allowed identification...
W Hillier, R J Murphy, D J Dickinson, J N B Bell


Initial results and observations of a model system to assess the efficacy and environmetal impact of preservative treated wood
1993 - IRG/WP 93-50001-02
The development of a closed model system for the laboratory assessment of the efficacy and environmental impact of a chromated fluoride remedial treatment for creosoted distribution poles has been described (IRG/WP/2395-92). The model consists of a precipitation apparatus above a treated pole section positioned in a soil profile from which leachate was collected via a series of simulated field dra...
D C R Sinclair, G M Smith, A Bruce, H J Staines


A comparison of inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy and neutron activity analysis for the determination of concentrations in wood
1993 - IRG/WP 93-10048
As wood decays the ionic composition changes, with increases often being seen in the concentrations of Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn and sometimes K. The concentration of eight cations in red spruce sapwood and heartwood samples was determined independently by inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy (ICP) and by neutron activation analysis (NAA) as part of an effort to standardize our analytical procedures and c...
J Jellison, J Connolly, K C Smith, W T Shortle


The environmental chemistry of chromium: Science vs. U.S. law
1993 - IRG/WP 93-50014
The cooperation which existed among chromium chemical producers, industrial health laboratories, and governmet agencies was destroyed after 1970 by the advent of environmental activism and regulatory legislation. As prewar plants had been found to pose a serious cancer risk, this fact was the basis of EPA regulations, especially during the term of Joe Califano in HEW under Jimmy Carter. However, a...
W H Hartford


The influence of soil pH on leaching of CCA elements from pressure-treated Eucalyptus saligna sapwood: environmental implication
2003 - IRG/WP 03-50203
Evidence is accumulating as to poor distribution and fixation of CCA in tropical hardwoods, and there is therefore a necessity to investigate the permanency of CCA in tropical hardwoods. The relationship between soil pH and leaching of Cu, Cr and As from CCA pressure-treated sapwood of Kenyan-grown Eucalyptus saligna was tested under laboratory conditions. Small sapwood samples were pressure-tre...
R Venkatasamy, D N Okwara


Protection of rubberwood with modified creosote
1998 - IRG/WP 98-30165
Creosote is a renowned wood preservative but has certain disadvantages like obnoxius odour and colour, with its unpaintability and bleeding from wood surface may create environmental hazards. An effort has been made to isolate chemical fractions from creosote to obtain clean odourless preservative formulations by subjecting to steam distillation (SVC). Rubberwood treated with SVC and tested for it...
H C Nagaveni, H S Ananthapadmanabha, G Vijayalakshmi, M N Sharma, K H Shankaranarayana


Will political initiatives stop the use of preservative-treated wood in Sweden?
1990 - IRG/WP 3578
The Swedish government has initiated several investigations on how to reduce the use of different chemicals. Among these chemicals are creosote, arsenic, chromium and organotin. A special investigation was carried out concerning wood preservatives resulting in different proposals on how to reduce the use of preservatives and preservative treated wood. The most important proposals were an "environm...
J Jermer, M-L Edlund


Influence of concentration, catalyst, and temperature on dimensional stability of DMDHEU modified scots pine
1998 - IRG/WP 98-40119
Dimethyloldihydroxyethyleneurea (DMDHEU) is being used in textile industry to improve wrinkle recovery. Trials on solid wood have been performed to minimise swelling of the wood. This paper focuses on the effect of various types and concentrations of catalyst and reaction temperature on the dimensional stability of Scots pine. Three different catalysts, NKS (based on magnesium chloride), 3282 (bas...
M Van der Zee, E P J Beckers, H Militz


Preliminary studies to assess the effects of aeration and lowered humidity on the decay capacity, growth and survival of the dry rot fungus Serpula lacrymans (Wulf ex. Fr.)
1997 - IRG/WP 97-10208
Novel microcosms were used to test separately the effects of aeration and humidity on the decay capacity, linear spread and survival of Serpula lacrymans. The application of a pumped air supply resulted in an effective cessation of fungal activity when all but the lowest of the air flow rates was used. Furthermore, the lowest air flow rate caused marked growth tropisms away from the stress. In sep...
G A Low, J W Palfreyman, N A White, H J Staines, A Bruce


An appraisal of methods for environmental testing of leachates from salt-treated wood; part 1
1998 - IRG/WP 98-50115
The magnitude and diversity of leaching tests with salt-treated wood, performed by institutes as well as industry, strongly appeal for harmonisation towards one single method. That procedure should be well-defined, cost- and time-effective and moreover be extended with a clear detection and interpretation scheme. The paper(s) presented here tend to evaluate 2 existing leaching methods, the ENV 12...
G M F Van Eetvelde, M Stevens, F Mahieu, H-W Wegen, A Platen


An initial evaluation of the environmental impact of potential marine biocides
1978 - IRG/WP 441
Pilings and other structures in the marine environment are protected primarily by impregnation with creosote alone, or in combination with coal tar or waterborne preservatives such as copper-chrome-arsenate. Some of these materials are considered as possible ecological hazards and face an uncertain future; perhaps newly developed treatments to replace these conventional ones will pose different pr...
J D Bultman, P J Hannan


Occupant re-entry times following insecticidal remedial treatments of timber in dwellings
1995 - IRG/WP 95-50055
This work was carried out principally to obtain quantitative data on the aerial concentrations of permethrin and white spirit likely to arise following the remedial treatment of timber in buildings, using insecticidal formulations. Such data are needed to allow assessments to be made of the length of time buildings should remain unoccupied following such treatments prior to re-occupation, and the ...
R J Orsler, G E Holland, G M F Van Eetvelde


Environmental fate of copper-based wood preservatives in different soil substrates - Part 2: Study of the metal sorption and migration potential under simulated rainfall
1998 - IRG/WP 98-50101-21 b
In order to examine the potential environmental impact of spillages of the saltborne wood preservative CCA in treatment plants, four large scale experiments are set-up so as to follow the water transport and ion mobility in various field soils. A plastic container is filled with a sand, silt, clay and potting soil, made up at their respective bulk density and wetted to a given moisture content. U...
G M F Van Eetvelde, R Hartmann, J M Mwangi, H S Öztürk, M Stevens


Isolation of soil borne bacteria and fungi from treated timber
2001 - IRG/WP 01-50174
Most research in the last few decades has focused on the development of new strategies to control biological attack and the means to quantify this. Comparatively little work has been done to examine the effect that treated timber might have on its surrounding environment. This presentation will describe a methodology that attempts to detect any changes which might occur in the soil microflora foll...
I Stephan, A Stegemann, G Heidrich


Environmental risk assessment of treated wood - A mesocosm study
2005 - IRG/WP 05-50224-8
In order to evaluate the environmental impact of treated poles, we have developed physical models (mesocosms) containing around 250 kg of natural soil and a treated pole. On the top of each mesocosm, a spraying mechanism, which can distribute ultrapure water through several nozzles, was built. On the lower part of each mesocosm, a small tank, which can contain some litres of leachate, was placed...
P Marchal, F Poly


The suitability of high pressure sap-displacement for the retention of UK grown spruce and pine
1990 - IRG/WP 3595
The concentration and radial distribution of copper, chrome, arsenic (CCA), and the moisture content and depth of radial checking in UK grown, field exposed spruce and pine poles treated by high pressure sap-displacement are examined. The concentration of CCA elements in samples obtained from increment cores is similar in Norway spruce, Scots pine and Corsican pine but is significantly lower in Si...
P D Evans, S D Hainey, A Bruce, G M Smith, B King


The EWPMG proposal for the environmental risk assessment of wood preservatives
2001 - IRG/WP 01-50166-09
This paper reviews the protocol prepared by the European Wood Preservative Manufacturer's Group, which could be used by an applicant for product approval under the Biocidal Products Directive 98/8/EC, to produce a risk assessment for an active substance or product in the Product Type 8 Wood Preservatives, in support of the application. The background and scope of the protocol are reviewed...
E F Baines


Protection of southern pine using N,N-Napthaloylhydroxylamine: Field tests, soft-rot cellars and aquatic bioassay leach testing
1999 - IRG/WP 99-30204
Recent environmental restrictions are limiting the use of broad-spectrum biocides for wood preservation. There is an urgent need for new, sharply targeted, environmentally benign wood preservatives. N'N-Napthaloylhydroxylamine (NHA), a water-soluble calcium-precipitating agent, has been shown to inhibit decay by brown-rot and white-rot fungi in soil-block tests and prevent damage by Easte...
D M Crawford, F Green III


Borates as wood preservatives - an environmental, health and safety perspective
1993 - IRG/WP 93-50001-03
Boron compounds are highly effective wood preservatives and have an established safe use in the timber treatment industry. Their widespread background occurrence in nature, low acute mammalian toxicity and useful properties make them versatile active ingredients within today's environmentally aware society. A critical review of health, safety and environmental data on the borates, their u...
J B Rainer


Ecotoxicological behaviour of leachates from superficially treated timber as an approach for a test strategy of environmental risk assessment in wood preservation
1998 - IRG/WP 98-50101-09
At present for wood preservatives, which in Germany are subject to the quality mark of the RAL-Gütegemeinschaft Holzschutzmittel, health and safety as well as environmental aspects are evaluated by official authorities, as BgVV (Federal Institute for Consumer Health Protection and Veterinary Medicine) and the UBA (Federal Environmental Agency). From the environmental point of view to day there a...
H W Wegen, U J Lucks


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