EPA Finds CCA Risks

A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency draft study released in November reveals a much higher health risk to children who play on CCA-treated playsets and decks than was previously indicated by the agency (see EBN Vol. 12, No. 3). The report shows that 90% of children aged one to six who regularly play on CCA-treated wood face a greater than one-in-one-million chance of contracting cancer from their exposure. The problem is worst in warm climates, where children spend more time outdoors. Although CCA is being phased out, the preservative does not dissipate over time. For this reason, EPA is testing a variety of sealants to encapsulate CCA. The draft assessment is available online at www.epa.gov/scipoly/sap/.