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Are those taken up by plants? I think there’s even some debate around the effects of using treated wood for raised vegetable gardens. Last when I looked into it

Are those taken up by plants? I think there’s even some debate around the effects of using treated wood for raised vegetable gardens. Last when I looked into it, I think there was some elevated arsenic in plants and the advice was to plant a few inches away from the edges of the bed since the exposure drops off.

colechristensen 2y ago
>I think there’s even some debate around the effects of using treated wood for raised vegetable gardens It's not a debate or the matter or health or organic wonks. "pressure treated wood" is treated with a compound of arsenic. Arsenic is quite toxic and readily leaches into the ground and your garden. Like you really shouldn't touch pressure treated wood, you should wear gloves and wash your hands after. It is banned in the US for construction of residential things which come into contact with humans and totally banned in several countries. Leave pressure treated wood away from your food... a few inches planting away from it isn't enough.
- jihadjihad 2y ago
  > "pressure treated wood" is treated with a compound of arsenic. It depends--I am assuming you're referring to chromated copper arsenate [0] (CCA), which has been widely phased out in favor of other treatments, like copper azole [1]. I wouldn't go and build a raised garden bed out of copper azole treated wood either, but I also wouldn't be surprised if the leached copper etc. is quite a bit safer than CCA. 0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromated_copper_arsenate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromated_copper_arsenate 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_preservation#Copper_azole https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_preservation#Copper_azole
  - colechristensen 2y ago
    CCA is restricted in some residential applications, but it is still very much for sale for industrial and some structural uses. Most pressure treated you will find won't have it any more, but not all. https://www.menards.com/main/find.html?find=CCA+treated.&skipKeywordInCategory=true&Spec_ProductType_facet=CCA+Pressure+Treated+Foundation+Lumber&Spec_ProductType_facet=CCA+Pressure+Treated+Lumber&Spec_ProductType_facet=CCA+Pressure+Treated+Timber&Spec_ProductType_facet=CCA+Wood+Fence+Post https://www.menards.com/main/find.html?find=CCA+treated.&ski...
- s1artibartfast 2y ago
  Chromated arsenic treatment was banned in pressure treated wood in 2003. Pressure treatment with less toxic chemicals is not banned. https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/overview-wood-preservative-chemicals https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/over...
  - colechristensen 2y ago
    You can still buy it, you're just not supposed to use CCA treated wood for a list of residential uses.

colechristensen 2y ago

>I think there’s even some debate around the effects of using treated wood for raised vegetable gardens It's not a debate or the matter or health or organic wonks. "pressure treated wood" is treated with a compound of arsenic. Arsenic is quite toxic and readily leaches into the ground and your garden. Like you really shouldn't touch pressure treated wood, you should wear gloves and wash your hands after. It is banned in the US for construction of residential things which come into contact with humans and totally banned in several countries. Leave pressure treated wood away from your food... a few inches planting away from it isn't enough.

jihadjihad 2y ago
> "pressure treated wood" is treated with a compound of arsenic. It depends--I am assuming you're referring to chromated copper arsenate [0] (CCA), which has been widely phased out in favor of other treatments, like copper azole [1]. I wouldn't go and build a raised garden bed out of copper azole treated wood either, but I also wouldn't be surprised if the leached copper etc. is quite a bit safer than CCA. 0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromated_copper_arsenate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromated_copper_arsenate 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_preservation#Copper_azole https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_preservation#Copper_azole
- colechristensen 2y ago
  CCA is restricted in some residential applications, but it is still very much for sale for industrial and some structural uses. Most pressure treated you will find won't have it any more, but not all. https://www.menards.com/main/find.html?find=CCA+treated.&skipKeywordInCategory=true&Spec_ProductType_facet=CCA+Pressure+Treated+Foundation+Lumber&Spec_ProductType_facet=CCA+Pressure+Treated+Lumber&Spec_ProductType_facet=CCA+Pressure+Treated+Timber&Spec_ProductType_facet=CCA+Wood+Fence+Post https://www.menards.com/main/find.html?find=CCA+treated.&ski...
s1artibartfast 2y ago
Chromated arsenic treatment was banned in pressure treated wood in 2003. Pressure treatment with less toxic chemicals is not banned. https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/overview-wood-preservative-chemicals https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/over...
- colechristensen 2y ago
  You can still buy it, you're just not supposed to use CCA treated wood for a list of residential uses.