Recommendations
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Research and Development
There is a lack of knowledge about the impacts of CCA-treated timber in the Australian environment. Since the timber industry is unlikely to fund such research, there is a need for independent research. Furthermore, the research that is being undertaken focuses mostly on alternative chemicals, although they pose a range of environmental and health risks as well. It is recommended that non-industry linked research funding is made available in sufficient amounts to enable researchers to:
- Investigate non-biocidal wood treatment alternatives and the performance of alternative materials;
- Conduct epidemiological research on the health impacts of CCA exposure on timber workers, as well as on agricultural animals, such as horses;
- Carry out a comprehensive mass testing programme of Australian playgrounds to determine how much arsenic children are ingesting;
- Undertake epidemiological studies that are properly extrapolated to the risks for children, taking into account the different rate of metabolism for children;
- Measure the actual amount of arsenic residue on the surface of CCA-treated timber of different ages, as well as levels of arsenic in the surrounding soil, and investigate the factors that influence this;
- Investigate synergistic toxicity of CCA acting as a combination, rather than extrapolating the risks of each element acting alone;
- Determine the environmental risk to aquatic environments posed by CCA-treated timber;
- Understand the environmental risk associated with the use of CCA-treated timber in commercial applications, such as farm fencing, poles and bollards;
- Measure the level of plant uptake of arsenic in Australia, including through the roots; and
- Develop technologies to safely remove arsenic, chromium and copper from CCA-treated timber prior to landfill or re-use.
