This study investigated the effectiveness of heat-treated wood particles for improving the physico-mechanical properties and creep performance of wood/recycled-HDPE composites. The results reveal that the composites with heat-treated wood particles had significantly decreased moisture content, water absorption, and thickness swelling, while no improvements of the flexural properties or the wood...

Studies in Florida, USA, focusing on the environmental impacts of wood treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) were initiated because of elevated levels of arsenic and chromium encountered in ash from wood cogeneration plants within the State. During 1996 it was determined that these elevated levels were due to contamination of wood fuel with discarded CCA-treated wood. Since this time, a ...

Disposal of discarded chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood in landfills raises concerns with respect to leaching of preservative compounds. When unweathered CCA-treated wood is leached using the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP), arsenic concentrations exceed the toxicity characteristic (TC) limit of 5mg/L in most cases. The majority of discarded CCA-treated wood, howeve...

Environment Canada undertook a preliminary comparative toxicity assessment of selected materials that may be utilized in construction projects located in the aquatic environment. That project involved introducing Fahlstrom sized test stakes (3.9x0.54x26.4 cm) to both fresh and salt water for toxicity testing. Rainbow Trout, Daphnia magna and Microtox testing was conducted in freshwater and Thre...

For the past 60 yr, chromate-copper-arsenate (CCA) has been used to pressure-treat millions of cubic meters of wood in the United States for the construction of many outdoor structures. Leaching of arsenic from these structures is a possible health concern as there exists the potential for soil and groundwater contamination. While previous studies have focused on total arsenic concentrations le...

Bioremediation of chromated copper arsenate-treated waste wood with one or more metal-tolerant bacteria is a potential method of naturally releasing metals from treated wood fibre. Sampling eight environments with elevated levels of copper, chromium, and arsenic resulted in the isolation of 28 bacteria with the capability of releasing one or more of the components from chromated copper arsenate...

      Dust storms are increasingly threatening the forest ecosystem in Western Iran. Due to its coverage of vast area of Zagros forest, the Quercus brantii is at the front line of the attack. Most tree deaths in this forest are from this species. This study aims to investigate the effect of simulated dust on wood development and leaf stomata from seedlings of Persian oak. The oak seedlings were...

Thermally modified wood is widely used in cladding, decking, and other construction projects that are meant for outdoor exposure. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in the color, microstructure, and chemical composition of heat-treated, Larix spp. wood that was exposed to artificial weathering. In this study, accelerated weathering tests (UV and moisture) were conducted over a...

Oil heat treatment can effectively improve the dimensional stability and bio-durability of wood. However, the characteristics of high oil uptake (50 percent or higher) and high susceptibility to leaching from wood have an adverse effect on subsequent manufacturing processes of wood product and production costs. A solvent extraction (100% ethanol) process was used to extract the surplus oil from...

The production of landscape mulch is a major market for the recycling of yard trash and waste wood. When wood recovered from construction and demolition (C&D) debris is used as mulch, it sometimes contains chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood. The presence of CCA-treated wood may cause some potential environmental problems as a result of the chromium, copper, and arsenic present. Resear...