Toxicity Comparison
The following table lists some of the chemicals used to prevent wood decay in order from the most toxic to the least toxic.
| Compound Used | Toxicity | Worker Exposure | Duration of Effect | Fate | Disposal | Special Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chloropicrin | Highly toxic, 0.3 ppm eye irritant, 4 ppm- 10 sec. incapacitation | Poison Inhalation Hazard | 8-24 hrs | Photodegrades 20d half life | As Toxic Waste | Tear Gas, Phosgene photodecomp product, Restricted use pesticide |
| MITC (methylisothiocyanate) | Upper respiratory poison, Inhal-rat LC50= 1900mg/cu. m/h, oral-rat LD50= 72mg/kg | Poison inhalation hazard, Allergen, No levels established | 3 years | Soil Leaching | Not banned from landfills | |
| CCA (copper, chromium, arsenic) | Severe Acute Hazard, Plant sterilizant from Arsenic | Chronic Health Hazard, Carcinogen- skin | 25 years | Migration in soils, never destroyed | As Toxic Waste | Flammable- fumes highly toxic, ash lethal to mammals |
| Pentachlorophenol | LD50 50mg/kg oral rat, TLV= 0.5 mg/cu. m in air | Inhalation-heart failure, Skin irritant | 10-20 years | Slow biodegradation, Half-life 2yrs | As Toxic Waste | |
| Creosote | Severe health hazard, irritant, LD50 1,700 mg/kg oral rat, Carcinogen | Avoid fumes, OSHA- 0.2 mg/cu. m, Skin irritant | 10-15 yrs | Low movement, Slow biodegradation, Major environmental hazard | As Toxic Waste | |
| Cu Naphthenate | LD50 not reported, Skin Irritant, Env. Hazardous Substance | Acute Hazard, Fatal if swallowed | Slow Biodegradation, Hazard to wildlife- water | As Toxic Waste | ||
| Boron Rods | Non-toxic, Non-carcinogen, Respiratory irritant, Eye irritant | No special precautions, Skin irritant | 2-3 years | Release into soil | Landfill | |
| AMP Products | Non-toxic- Generally regarded as safe (GRAS) | GRAS | 7-10 yrs | Carbon Dioxide and Water | Biodegraded in place, No disposal | All natural materials |
Source: Material Safety Data Sheets obtained from http://msds.ehs.cornell.edu