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Danish wood preservatives approval system with special focus on assessment of the environmental risks associated with industrial wood preservatives
2001 - IRG/WP 01-50166-01
The following is a description of the procedure used by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency to assess the environmental risks associated with preservatives used in the pressure impregnation of wood. The risk assessment covers issues considered to be of significance for the environment and which are adequately documented so as to allow an assessment. Such issues are persistence and mobility ...
J Larsen


A case study on quality control on telephone poles as a cost saving tool in Tanzania
1987 - IRG/WP 3418
A sample of 28 CCA treated Eucalyptus poles from a lot of 2,000 poles awaiting delivery to the field, was studied to reveal the quality of treatment. Results showed a product of very poor quality. Average figures for penetration and retention were 8.4 mm and 2.2 kg/m³; these results are 66% and 91% below the required standards, respectively. Consequences of such results are estimated to amount to...
K K Murira


The long-term performance of boron treated joinery in service - A case study
2000 - IRG/WP 00-20208
Joinery treated with borates 23 years ago and in service in residential flats was surveyed and analysed for boron content. The levels of boron still present were sufficient to prevent decay. None of the windows surveyed showed any decay despite the fact that moisture and sapwood contents were conducive to decay....
D J Dickinson, R J Murphy


Rates of emission from CCA-treated wood in the marine environment: measurement, modelling and requirements for further research
2001 - IRG/WP 01-50166-12
Accurate estimates of rates of emission of leachate from preservative treated wood are crucial for realistic predictions of the environmental impact of its use in maritime construction. Estimates are available for some commonly used preservatives, but these vary widely. Though variable, these measurements suggest that emission generally decreases exponentially with time. Part of the variation is d...
S M Cragg, C J Brown, R A Albuquerque, R A Eaton


The role of communication in the field of environment protection: A case study "Wood Protection"
1990 - IRG/WP 3574
L Wöss


Biocides - Efficacy assessment and doses for wood preservatives (product type 8). Local/geographical aspects. Termite control as case study
1999 - IRG/WP 99-20181
Currently, the efficacy of a wood preservative, as biocidal product type 8, is assessed as a ‚critical value' (CV), an efficient dose (retention in wood at a given depth of penetration). CVs are planned to be adapted for exposure to basic target organisms (5 hazard classes) and additional requirements concerning the occurrence of local target organisms in relation with climate, building...
G Ozanne


How to determine what is a realistic emission from treated wood - basic reflections
1998 - IRG/WP 98-50105
Emissions from treated wood occur by evaporation and by leaching. Up to date by far more experience exists on leaching tests than on evaporation test. The methods applied will be of interest to give answers to the questions about the quantity of possible emissions. Standardisation on leaching started very early. One of the first attempts to quantify the effect of leaching on the remaining efficacy...
H Willeitner, R-D Peek


Current models used by the European Health Authorities to evaluate the volatilization of active ingredients from treated wood used inside dwellings. A case study: Volatilization of azaconazole and propiconazole from treated wood
1990 - IRG/WP 3565
The use of wood preservatives inside houses may result in measurable aerial concentrations of active ingredients. These airborne contaminants may be inhaled by the inhabitants over periods lasting from a couple of days to several months. To assess the potential health hazard of preservative residues in the air, various risk-assessment models have been worked out. Three schemes, currently used by t...
A R Valcke, L Van Leemput


A case for adopting a standardised protocol of field and laboratory bioassays to evaluate a potential soil termiticide
2003 - IRG/WP 03-20275
The rationale for adopting a new approach to the field testing of potential soil termiticides is advocated on the grounds that current testing methods are limited to termite bioassays and do not address quantitatively the persistence and bioavailability of soil termiticides to foraging subterranean termites over time and in different soil types. Furthermore, the present testing regimes assume fiel...
J R J French, B M Ahmed


Life cycle analysis of utility poles. A Swiss case study
1995 - IRG/WP 95-50040-05
Use of preservative-treated wood products faces increasing public and political pressure because of environmental concerns regarding the chemicals used to protect the wood. However, critics usually focus only on one single aspect of the whole life cycle of treated wood products, disregarding other environmental effects of timber utilization. To evaluate the ecological consequences of wooden utilit...
T Künniger, K Richter


The case for non-chemical termite barriers in termite control
1989 - IRG/WP 1381
A brief outline of current non-chemical barriers in subterranean termite control and their use in Australia is presented. Recent use of non-chemical barriers in Hawaii has led to their evaluation in termite control here and elsewhere. In Australia, preliminary laboratory and field experiments have shown similar results to those found against Coptotermes formosanus in Hawaii, namely, Australian Cop...
J R J French


Case histories involving attempts at identifying infestations, determining the source and controlling the Formosan subterranean termite in Atlanta, Georgia USA
2000 - IRG/WP 00-10342
The University of Georgia Department of Entomology and the Georgia State Department of Agriculture have been involved in identifying and working with Pest Control Operators and homeowners dealing with Formosan subterranean termite infestations in the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area since 1993. Our involvement with seven separate infestations is outlined in this paper in the form of case histori...
B T Forschler, J Harron, T M Jenkins


Structural defects in CCA treated timber fence posts: A case study.
1997 - IRG/WP 97-40084
Since 1983 an environmental improvement programme has been in progress in the city of Dundee. This programme included the erection of rail and pale timber fencing throughout the city. The timbers had been pressure treated with CCA prior to painting with 2 coats of an exterior wood stain finish. However, the larger dimension timber fence posts (100 x 125 x 1500 mm3) regularly developed severe check...
S Muhsin, D C R Sinclair, A Bruce, H J Staines


Control of termite attack using a trapping method and acoustic emission (AE) monitoring a case study at an electric power plant
1997 - IRG/WP 97-10224
To prevent subterranean termites (Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki and Reticulitermes speratus Kolbe) from invading the buildings of an electric power plant and to control their attack, artificial traps were buried around the buildings. The attack of the termites in and around the traps was monitored by detecting acoustic emissions (AE) generated by the feeding behavior of the workers. The cylindric...
Y Fujii, Y Imamura, E Iwatsubo, S Yamamoto


Remediation of a site contaminated with creosote and CCA - a case study
1998 - IRG/WP 98-50101-12
Over sixty years of wood preservation activity conducted by ImpregNor at Ilseng, Norway, has caused serious contamination of the soil. High concentrations of creosote have been found at two separate sites, one in connection to the creosote wood preservation plant, and one further downstream were residues from the creosote preservation have been deposited. High levels of chromium, copper and arseni...
T Rødsand, K Hellum, H Lillemaehlum


Strategies of risk reduction in sensitive environments - Case studies
2001 - IRG/WP 01-50166-11
The application of risk assessment procedures is based on widely agreed criteria and, whenever necessary, default values. The assessment itself aims to cover a wide extent of situations through "reasonable worst case scenarios". The result, based on the ratio of predictive to no-effect concentrations "PEC/PNEC", is usually performed into various regulations on a pass/fail basis, practically by ban...
G Ozanne


A case for ecosystem-level experimentation - A discussion paper
1986 - IRG/WP 1296
Although laboratory bioassays provide a first step in testing for potential termiticides and assist in formulating recommendations of these chemicals for regulatory agencies and users, they are not designed for predicting effects on natural populations (including humans) and on ecosystem-level features. To overcome this we need microcosm studies, carefully controlled experimental manipulations of ...
J R J French


Possible durability transfer from durable to non durable wood species. The study case of teak wood
2001 - IRG/WP 01-10392
Teakwood is well known for its excellent natural durability, mostly due to its high proportion of extracts. Amongst these extracts, quinones, and more precisely some naphtoquinones (such as lapachol) and anthraquinones (such as tectoquinone) appear to play a crucial role in the resistance to wood decay organisms. At a laboratory scale, sawdust from malaysian teak heartwood has been extracted under...
M-F Thévenon, C Roussel, J-P Haluk


International standardisation: a hypothetical case study with stand-alone borate wood preservatives
1998 - IRG/WP 98-20147
The possibility of developing wood preservation standards with a global remit has a number of obvious advantages as well as far reaching ramifications, many of which are undefined as yet. The commercial implications of adopting international standards are clearly considerable, but equally, such a development is likely to focus attention on the conceptual differences in the way that different regio...
M W Schoeman, J D Lloyd


Non agricultural biocide directive. Practical proposals of implementation in the case where biocides are wood preservatives
1995 - IRG/WP 95-50040-24
This project of non-agricultural biocide directive has currently an extremely wide scope of pre-marketing authorization of substances and preparations used in numerous applications, other than agricultural. Elaborated on the 86/414/EEC model of the phytopharmaceutical product directive, the "NAB" draft directive aims to cover situations as different as plant or wood protection: in the case of plan...
G Ozanne


Treatment of Green Logs infested by Exotic Pest: Case Study of the Emerald Ash Borer: Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire
2007 - IRG/WP 07-10628
Invasive alien insect species periodically infest forests in the United States causing the destruction of plant species and decimating populations, resulting in significant economic and ecological losses for areas involved. The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) was first discovered on North American soil in the summer of 2002 near Detroit, Michigan and has since spread to several other Midwestern states and...
P Nzokou, S Tourtellot, D P Kamdem


Wood boring species present in the Tagus Estuary and the severity of their attack on wooden piles exposed in the area: a case study
2008 - IRG/WP 08-10664
Wood exposed in the marine environment is subject to degradation by wood boring organisms. This is probably one of the reasons why wood has been substituted by concrete and steel in maritime structures in many European coastal areas. Wooden piles obtained from a wharf exposed in the Tagus Estuary, Porto Brandão (Almada, Portugal) provided an opportunity to understand the main agents of biodeter...
L M S Borges, L Nunes, A A Valente, P Palma


In-service performance of wood depends upon the critical in-situ conditions. Case studies.
2008 - IRG/WP 08-20382
Wood is a unique building material, but is by nature designed to deteriorate. A detailed understanding of the factors and interactions involved are important when working with service life prediction of wooden components in buildings. Wood may experience exponential fungal degradation caused by variation in the climatic factors within a small limited area and by minor imperfection in the wooden ...
L Ross Gobakken, J Mattsson, G Alfredsen


Antinomic natural self-protection mechanism in long-lasting woods: a case study with three tropical species from French Guiana
2009 - IRG/WP 09-10696
We demonstrate in this work through 3 examples that Amazonian trees may specialize long-lasting woods by means of at least to different approaches. Wallaba impregnates its wood with large amounts of weakly antifungal compounds acting in synergy, while tatajuba and louro vermelho woods are naturally impregnated with antifungal agents. Comparison of biological activities in vitro and concentrations ...
A Rodrigues, M Royer, N Amusant, J Beauchêne, G Herbette, V Eparvier, A Thibaut, L Salmen Espíndola, B Thibaut, D Stien


Service life prediction of wooden components - Part 3: Approaching a comprehensive test methodology
2011 - IRG/WP 11-20464
This paper is the third in a series on 'service life prediction' of wooden components and should be considered as a discussion paper. The authors tried to analyze the topic with a look from a distance and comment sometimes with a smile on the current controversial discussion about SLP issues. Nevertheless, the viewpoints of different groups, such as natural scientists, engineers, approva...
C Brischke, C R Welzbacher, L Meyer, T Bornemann, P Larsson Brelid, A Pilgård, E Frühwald-Hansson, M Westin, A O Rapp, S Thelandersson, J Jermer


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