Timber Preservation: Making it last healthily

Timber preservation is arguably the second most important environmental issue next to sustainably harvesting. There are many important reasons to treat wood, ranging from rot due to being constantly in moist environments, resistance from insects and fungus and just concerns for general durability due to exposure to the sun and weather. These are all important reasons, especially when you consider timber is often a staple when constructing housing and people want to protect their investment; however economic interests need not to conflict with environmental concerns. There are a number of methods used to preserve wood, some like creosote used in the past are now banned due to their cancer causing nature and others that probably should be banned i.e. ‘CCA’ treatment (and has been banned in some uses such as decking).

Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) is a mix of chromium, copper and arsenic designed to increase durability through the prevention of decay by fungi and bacteria and resistance to wood attacking insects. The reason it should be banned is because arsenic is a proven toxin and carcinogen. Do you really want to live surrounded by toxic fencing that can pollute the soil, be absorbed by children climbing fences, cannot be safely disposed except at a landfill, it cannot be mulched or reused and releases toxic gases if burnt? Partial or complete restriction of CCA occurs locally in Australia but also in Japan, USA, Indonesia, Sweden and Germany. Environmentally friendly alternatives often involve combining copper and organic preservatives, for example Ammoniacal Copper Quaternary (ACQ).

ACQ has recently seen an emergence primarily due to restrictions implemented on CCA. ACQ contains no high toxicity arsenic/chromium compounds and it can be both mulched and burnt with no adverse side effects. However it has a slightly higher initial cost and its availability is low but slowly improving as CCA is slowly being phased out and eliminated in certain countries. ACQ is approved for use in ‘in ground’ structural uses,

LOSP or Light organic solvent preservative is a type of timber preservation that is used for above ground uses. It typically uses a light oil like linseed oil (best) or a solvent like white spirits (high Volatile Organic Compound emissions) and a synthetic pyrethroid like permethrin.

For those who would like to utilize ACQ and similar alternatives, Ecospecifier.com.au offers a range of products that will fill your needs, an example of this can be seen in Lonza Wood’s – Wolmanized Outdoor Wood; a wood product most equipped for outdoor settings such as decks, walkways, fences and landscaping.

Explore more about the product ranges that have been eco-certified and listed by Ecospecifier, by using the Product Search Engine on Ecospecifier Global: http://www.ecospecifier.com.au

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Termite Pest Control; Are you killing more than just termites?

Termites (commonly known as white ants) are an important part of the natural ecosystem, but in buildings they are pests. In nature, they primarily feed on detritus in the form of leaf litter, soil and dead wood, the very same wood that may be the dominant building material for your home and herein lays the problem.

Termites can and will readily destroy your home if it contains timber and it is left unprotected. Termites are found all over Australia with high incidences occurring in all major urban centres.

Sadly many of the chemicals that are used to control termite infestations can put your family’s health in danger if they are not installed properly and used discretely. Even many of the chemicals that are approved as ‘safe to use’ have health impacts that even many licensed applicators are unaware of.

Pesticides for the use of preventative termite control are covered by the Australian Standard AS 3660.1 (2000) and 3660.2 (2000) for remedial termite control.

Some approved pesticides for termite control include:

• Arsenic Trioxide –
  • Very high acute toxicity, known carcinogen, developmental or reproductive toxin and suspected Endocrine (hormone) disruptor.
    • Symptoms include (but are not limited to): Cancer, a metallic taste in the mouth, vomiting, muscle weakness, lethargy, liver damage (e.g. jaundice), shock and cardiac arrhythmia
  • Chlorpyrifos and other organo-phospates;
    • Moderate acute toxicity, Cholinesterase (nervous system) inhibitor and suspected Endocrine disruptor.
      • Symptoms include (but are not limited to): Diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, convulsions, dizziness, excessive salivation, and blurred vision.
    • Bifenthrin and other synthetic pyrethroids (derived originally from the daisy plant)
      • Moderate acute toxicity, developmental or reproductive toxin, possible carcinogen and suspected Endocrine disruptor.
        • Symptoms include ( but are not limited to): Headaches, fatigue, vomiting, abnormal facial sensations, muscle twitching and seizures.

Ecospecifier has a vision for an ecologically aware built environment for Australia where toxins have no place where they can affect people or the broader environment. This is why we developed the Ecospecifier Cautionary Assessment Process (ESCAP), to assess chemicals and their risk and enable us to use the best scientific knowledge to determine whether chemicals used in products like termite control are safe or should be excluded for use if they are deemed to have significant health and/or ecological impacts.

An example how ESCAP results in safe use of chemicals with low risk profiles can be seen in the TRITHOR Termite Protection System (Ensystex Australasia) and JIHONG termite barrier films, both effective hybrid physical/chemical barriers providing all the benefits of both physical and chemical barriers but with the chemicals locked between layers of impervious plastic.

Controlling termites does not need to infringe upon your health and this is where Ecospecifier can help both you and your loved ones. For more information, check out http://www.ecospecifier.com.au.

Explore more about the product ranges that have been eco-certified and listed by Ecospecifier, by using the Product Search Engine on Ecospecifier Global: http://www.ecospecifier.com.au

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Benzene – A Carcinogenic Toxin in Building Products & Potentially In Your Home

Benzene is a colourless, flammable liquid with a sweet smelling odour that when exposed to the atmosphere evaporates very quickly. Benzene is used within many building products and manufacturing processes, such as the production of plastics and some rubbers, and even in some pharmaceuticals and detergents. Benzene is commonly found in the home in glues, adhesives, cleaning products, paint strippers, some art supplies and most commonly in petrol. The most common way to be exposed to benzene is through inhalation of emissions, although skin contact and digestion are other possible ways of exposure.

Benzene is a highly volatile carcinogenic substance and exposure at high levels can result in death (by breathing vapours direct or in poorly controlled occupational situations). The health effects of benzene depend upon the levels and length of exposure.

However even low levels of exposure can result in:

• Skin and eye irritations
• Drowsiness, dizziness and headaches
• Vomiting
• Tremors
• Loss of consciousness
• Confusion

Benzene is a Category 1 carcinogen, so exposure at any levels has the potential to cause cancer, although the recommended “safe” level of exposure is argued amongst scientists and governments, with some believing that there is no safe level whilst others agree that 0.10% weight/weight is the safe cut off point for exposure. High exposure to benzene can result in:

• Abnormal blood production
• Disruption of the immune system
• Leukaemia – cancer of the tissues that form white blood cells
• Birth defects
• Cancer
• Death

To help minimise the risk of exposure to products containing benzene it is recommended that:

• Choose verified and certified products from the Ecospecifier website (ecospecifier.com.au) that show a transparent and detailed human and eco-toxicity analysis
• Contact the manufacturer if unsure if the product contains benzene
• Limit exposure to petrol, car exhaust and cigarette fumes
• Limit, or avoid if possible, exposure to fumes from art supplies, paints and solvents
• If using products that contain benzene, particularly if indoors, ensure that the room is adequately ventilated
• Eliminate, if possible, products that contain benzene, either as a component or contaminant

Explore more about the product ranges that have been eco-certified and listed by Ecospecifier, by using the Product Search Engine on Ecospecifier Global: http://www.ecospecifier.com.au

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Is Your Home Toxic

Ever noticed a ‘sweet’ smell when you open your empty kitchen or bathroom cupboard? That’s formaldehyde you’re smelling. What’s that? Read on to find out how this sweet smell is poison to your family.

Many building products, particularly wood products, may contain a toxic, cancer producing chemical called formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is a colourless, flammable gas that has a very distinct smell. It is commonly used in the manufacturing of resins during the production of pressed wood products. Exposure to formaldehyde may occur through either inhalation or skin contact, but most commonly through inhalation.

Formaldehyde affects people differently, as some are more sensitive to it than others, but the most common health implications include eye, nose, throat and skin irritation, as well as asthma and allergies. In severe cases, resulting from prolonged exposure to high levels of formaldehyde a person may experience decreased body weight, gastrointestinal ulcers, liver and kidney damage and dermatitis. Prolonged exposure to high levels of formaldehyde have been shown in Europe to increase an individual’s chance of developing cancer.

Formaldehyde may be present within a range of composite and liquid products including:

 

Manufacturing materials	Building materials	Timber materials
plastics foam insulation fungicides mirrors insecticides resins	sheet vinyl flooring doors decking panelling particleboard fibreboard carpets carpet backings some insulation products  paints	plywood laminated timber wall lining coverings and wall paper

 

Whilst low levels of formaldehyde may not result in any health impacts for some individuals, others may find that they are highly sensitive to the chemical. For those wishing to minimise the presence of formaldehyde in the building products used within the family home it is recommended that they:

• choose products from the wide range of verified and certified products on the Ecospecifier website (ecospecifier.com.au) that have all passed a detailed human and eco-toxicity analysis.
• choose products that contain phenolic-based formaldehyde resins, compared to urea formaldehyde resins, as they emit much less formaldehyde, typically rated at E0 (on a E00, E0, E1, E2 scale where E2 is the highest and should, along with unrated composite wood products, be avoided at all costs). These include plywood, panelling, particleboard and fibreboard.
• choosing higher quality exterior-grade pressed-wood building products even for internal use, as they are likely to be E0 rated (very low emission);
• ensure that rooms have efficient ventilation and low humidity levels, can be achieved through the use of air conditioning and dehumidifiers, particularly after installing a new carpet;
• minimise using products that contain formaldehyde and if possible eliminate any presence of formaldehyde.

Explore more about the product ranges that have been eco-certified and listed by Ecospecifier, by using the Product Search Engine on Ecospecifier Global: http://www.ecospecifier.com.au

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