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Subject: Re: Pressure Treated Wood and Arsenic
From: "Penny Morgan" <PMORGAN2@nc.rr.com>
Organization: Road Runner - NC
Date: Thu, 09 Aug 01 13:24:06
Message-ID: <MOD$010809.19123@rec.gardens.ecosystems>
References: <MOD$010809.29027@rec.gardens.ecosystems>



You might have seen the article in an 'Organic Gardening' magazine. I
subscribe and read an article quite some time ago about arsenic in pressure
treated lumber leaching out. It was enough to convince me to remove a 4 x
16 foot bed and start over in different areas. I am organic and am apt to
believe 'Organic Gardening' over big industry when it comes to safety
issues. If you go to your local Home Depot or Home Improvement store, look
at a piece of landscape timber and find a small tag attached to it that
warns that "you should not inhale dust when cutting them" and to "wash your
hands after handling the timbers". After I read the article, I went out and
found these small tags stapled to the timbers and couldn't believe it.
Anyway, it's your decision to make. Unfortunately, I think many times that
"money talks" when it comes to our safety and big industry lining their
pockets. You may be able to find some cedar, stones or even fake timbers
now on the market. Try contacting Organic Gardening via email and ask their
opinion as to how to rectify this in an economical way. Good Luck.

Penny
Zone 7 - North Carolina
Lawrence Peters wrote in message
news:MOD$010809.29027@rec.gardens.ecosystems...
>
> I recently read an article on the subject of kids playgrounds, and pressure
> treated wood. I wish I could say where the article was, but I read it in a
> Drs. office, and then put the magazine down. In any case, they said that
> pressure treated wood leaches arsenic.
>
> I moved into a house the has a really nice big raised bed, about 15 X 30.
> A great size for a background garden. It is surrounded by pressure treated
> 4 X 4s stacked.
>
> So, are these leaching poison into my organic garden?
>
>