Influence of wood species,treatment method and biocides concentration on leaching of copper–ethanolamine preservatives

Cu–ethanolamine-based preservatives are currently the most important alternatives for classical chromated-copper formulation. However, emissions of Cu from wood impregnated with copper–ethanolamine-based preservatives are still higher compared to emissions from wood preserved with copper–chromium based preservatives. In order to elucidate leaching of copper from specimens treated (brushed, soaked or vacuum-impregnated) with different copper–ethanolamine containing biocides of two different concentrations the following research on specimens made of Norway spruce (Picea abies), Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris) and Beech (Fagus sylvatica) were performed. The results showed that leaching is significantly affected by the wood species used. The lowest leaching rates were determined in specimens made of spruce, while the highest ones were determined in beech wood. Concentration of active ingredient influences the Cu fixation as well. Unfortunately, ethanolamine at higher concentration causes depolymerisation of lignin macromolecules, which results in increased copper leaching.     

Effects of impregnation with Imersol-aqua on the modulus of elasticity in bending of laminated wood materials

The aim of this study was to investigate the impacts of impregnation with Imersol-aqua on the modulus of elasticity in bending (MOE) of some laminated wood materials. For this aim, oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky), oak (Quercus petrea Liebl.), Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris Lipsky), oriental spruce (Picea orientalis Lipsky) and Uludağ fir (Abies bornmülleriana Lipsky) wood materials impregnated with Imersol-aqua according to ASTM D 1413-99 and producers’ definition. Laminated wood samples were produced from impregnated wood materials according to TS EN 386 in the five ply form (4 mm each) from oriental beech, oak, Scotch pine, Uludağ fir and oriental spruce wood by using Desmodur-VTKA adhesive. The MOE values were measured according to TS EN 408. Consequently, the MOE of impregnated + laminated (I + L_W) softwoods, pine, spruce and fir increased, respectively by 8.07%, 2.62% and 2.45% whereas the MOE of laminated + laminated hardwoods, beech and oak decreased, respectively by 5.06% and 4.37% with respect to laminated control samples (L_W). Considering the interaction of wood type and process, the MOE was obtained from laminated oriental beech, whereas the lowest was found for impregnated Uludağ fir. In consequence, in the massive construction and furniture elements that the MOE after the impregnation and lamination (I + L_W) is of great concern, oriental beech and Scotch pine materials could be recommended.     

Impacts of impregnation with Imersol-Aqua on the compression strength of some solid wood materials

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of impregnation with Imersol-Aqua on the compression strength of some solid wood materials. For this aim, Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky), European oak (Quercus petrea Liebl.), Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris Lipsky), Uludag fir (Abies Bornmülleriana Mattf.), Oriental spruce (Picea orientalis Lipsky) and Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra Lipsky) wood samples were prepared according to TS 2595 and impregnated with Imersol-Aqua, commonly being used in construction wood materials by the method of short, medium and long-term of dipping according to ASTM D 1413 and producers’ definition. After the impregnation process, compression strength was measured according to TS 2595. Consequently, among the non-impregnated wood materials, the highest compression strength was obtained in beech and pine samples. Compression strength at this situation from the highest to lowest can be enumerated beech, pine, oak, spruce, fir and poplar. With regard to the impregnation period, the sequence form the highest to lowest was as long-term, medium-term and short-term dipping. In the interaction of wood material and impregnation period, the highest compression strength values were obtained in Scotch pine (71.220 N mm⁻²) impregnated with long-term dipping method whereas the lowest in Lombardy poplar (35.710 N mm⁻²) impregnated with short-term dipping method.

In consequence, in the massive constructions and furniture elements that the compression strength after the impregnation is of great concern, long-term impregnation of solid wood material could be recommended.     

Influence of temperature on fixation of copper–ethanolamine-based wood preservatives

Market share of copper–ethanolamine-based wood preservatives is increasing in the past decade; despite of the fact that copper fixation is still not comparable to fixation of copper–chromium-based ones. One of the reasons for increased emissions originates in ethanolamine. Ethanolamine excesses depolymerizes lignin macromolecule, what consequence in higher leaching rates. In order to eliminate this negative influence of ethanolamine, Norway spruce wood blocks were impregnated with three different copper–ethanolamine solutions of three concentrations. After impregnation, specimens were dried at four different temperatures (25, 50, 75 and 103 °C) and, afterwards, leached according to the modified ENV 1250 procedure. The results showed that increased temperatures during fixation did not decrease but increased copper leaching. It is presumed that the main reason for observed fact is ethanolamine, which did not evaporate from wood. Unfortunately, increased temperatures dramatically increase lignin depolymerization, as well as copper leaching.     

Impact of chromated copper arsenate (CCA) in wood mulch

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. Research was performed to examine the leachability of the three metals from a variety of processed wood mixtures in Florida. The mixtures tested included mixed wood from C&D debris recycling facilities and mulch purchased from retail outlets. The synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP) was performed to examine the leaching of chromium, copper and arsenic. Results were compared to Florida's groundwater cleanup target levels (GWCTLs). Eighteen of the 22 samples collected from C&D debris processing facilities leached arsenic at concentrations greater than Florida's GWCTL of 50 microg/l. The mean leachable arsenic concentration for the C&D debris samples was 153 microg/l with a maximum of 558 microg/l. One of the colored mulch samples purchased from a retail outlet leached arsenic above 50 microg/l, while purchased mulch samples derived from virgin materials did not leach detectable arsenic (<5 microg/l). A mass balance approach was used to compute the potential metal concentrations (mg/kg) that would result from CCA-treated wood being present in wood mulch. Less than 0.1% CCA-treated wood would cause a mulch to exceed Florida's residential clean soil guideline for arsenic (0.8 mg/kg).     

Comparative value of phosphate sources on the immobilization of lead, and leaching of lead and phosphorus in lead contaminated soils

The mobility and bioavailability of lead (Pb) in soils can be mitigated by its immobilization using both soluble and insoluble phosphate (P) compounds. The effectiveness of insoluble P sources on Pb immobilization depends on their rate of dissolution which can be enhanced by phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB). In this study, the effect of soluble (potassium dihydrogen phosphate) and insoluble (rock phosphate in the presence and absence of PSB) P compounds on the immobilization of Pb, and leaching of Pb and P was examined using both naturally contaminated (SR soil: NH₄NO₃ extractable Pb: 28.7 mg/kg, pH: 5.88, organic matter: 0.7%) and Pb spiked (AH soil: NH₄NO₃ extractable Pb: 42.7 mg/kg, pH: 5.23, organic matter: 10.9%) soils. Phosphate compounds were added at the rate of 200 mg P/kg and 800 mg P/kg for SR and AH soils, respectively. Soluble P treatment immobilized 80% and 57% of Pb in SR and AH soils, respectively. Insoluble rock phosphate immobilized 40% and 9% of Pb without PSB, and 60% and 17% with PSB in SR and AH soils, respectively. Lead leaching was the lowest when soils were amended with rock phosphate in the presence of PSB, which reduced Pb leaching by 36% for SR soil and 18% for AH soil compared to the control. The leaching of Pb increased when the soils were amended with soluble P because soluble P treatment increased dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration of soil, thereby increasing Pb mobility. Soluble P treatment significantly increased P leaching and 9% of total added P was leached from low P retaining AH soil. The optimum level of P amendment is a critical issue when soluble P is used as a Pb immobilizing agent because of eutrophication resulting from excessive P leaching to surface and ground water. While the soluble P compound was effective in the immobilization of Pb, it resulted in P leaching which increased with increasing levels of P addition. However, rock phosphate amendment with PSB achieved the immobilization of Pb with a minimum effect on both Pb and P leaching.     

Dissolved organic compounds in reused process water for steam-assisted gravity drainage oil sands extraction

The in situ oil sands production method called steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) reuses process wastewater following treatment. However, the treatment and reuse processes concentrate contaminants in the process water. To determine the concentration and dynamics of inorganic and organic contaminants, makeup water and process water from six process steps were sampled at a facility employing the SAGD process in Alberta, Canada. In the groundwater used for the makeup water, the total dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content was 4 mg/L. This significantly increased to 508 mg/L in the produced water, followed by a gradual increase with successive steps in subsequent water treatments. The concentrations and dynamics of DOC constituents in the process water determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed that in the produced water, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as acetone (33.1 mg/L) and 2-butanone (13.4 mg/L) predominated, and there were significant amounts of phenolic compounds (total 9.8 mg/L) and organic acids including naphthenic acids (NAs) corresponding to the formula C_nH_2n+ZO_X for combinations of n = 4 to 18, Z = 0 and −2, and X = 2 to 4 (53 mg/L) with trace amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as naphthalene and phenanthrene. No organic contaminants, except for saturated fatty acids, were detected in the groundwater. The concentration of DOC in the recycled water was 4.4-fold higher than that in the produced water. Likewise, the total concentrations of phenols and organic acids in the recycled water were 1.7- and 4.5-fold higher than in the produced water, whereas the total concentrations of VOCs and PAHs in the recycled water were reduced by over 80%, suggesting that phenols and organic acids are selectively concentrated in the process water treatment. This comprehensive chemical analysis thus identified organic constituents that were concentrated in the process water and which interfere with subsequent water treatments in the SAGD process.     

Cork industry wastewater partition by ultra/nanofiltration: a biodegradation and valorisation study

Wastewater from cork processing industry present high levels of organic and phenolic compounds, such as tannins, with a low biodegradability and a significant toxicity. These compounds are not readily removed by conventional municipal wastewater treatment, which is largely based on primary sedimentation followed by biological treatment. The purpose of this work is to study the biodegradability of different cork wastewater fractions, obtained through membrane separation, in order to assess its potential for biological treatment and having in view its valorisation through tannins recovery, which could be applied in other industries. Various ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membranes where used, with molecular weight cut-offs (MWCO) ranging from 0.125 to 91 kDa. The wastewater and the different permeated fractions were analyzed in terms of Total Organic Carbon (TOC), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Total Phenols (TP), Tannins, Color, pH and Conductivity. Results for the wastewater shown that it is characterized by a high organic content (670.5-1056.8 mg TOC/L, 2285-2604 mg COD/L, 1000-1225 mg BOD/L), a relatively low biodegradability (0.35-0.38 for BOD₅/COD and 0.44-0.47 for BOD₂₀/COD) and a high content of phenols (360-410 mg tannic acid/L) and tannins (250-270 mg tannic acid/L). The results for the wastewater fractions shown a general decrease on the pollutant content of permeates, and an increase of its biodegradability, with the decrease of the membrane MWCO applied. Particularly, the permeated fraction from the membrane MWCO of 3.8 kDa, presented a favourable index of biodegradability (0.8) and a minimized phenols toxicity that enables it to undergo a biological treatment and so, to be treated in a municipal wastewater treatment plant. Also, within the perspective of valorisation, the rejected fraction obtained through this membrane MWCO may have a significant potential for tannins recovery. Permeated fractions from membranes with MWCO lower than 3.8 kDa, presented a particularly significant decline of organic matter and phenols, enabling this permeates to be reused in the cork processing and so, representing an interesting perspective of zero discharge for the cork industry, with evident environmental and economic advantages.     

Degradation of organic matter from black shales and charcoal by the wood-rotting fungus Schizophyllum commune and release of DOC and heavy metals in the aqueous phase

We investigated the degradation of refractory organic matter (OM) by the basidiomycete fungus Schizophyllum commune to understand the release of dissolved organic compounds, heavy metals and sulfur. The investigated OM consisted of: charcoal, the short time end product of high temperature wood alteration in the absence of oxygen and composed mainly of pure OM; and black shales composed of clay minerals, quartz, sulfides and OM formed geogenically in an abiotic long-term process. In both cases, the OM fraction contains mainly polyaromatic hydrocarbons. We investigated the degradation of these fractions by a wood-rotting basidiomycete, which is able to produce exoenzymes like peroxidases and laccases. These enzymes can perform radical reactions to oxidize OM (like lignin) and therefore hypothetically are able to degrade OM from charcoal and/or low grade metamorphic black shales. Release of new components into dissolved organic carbon (DOC) could be detected in both cases. The attack on OM in the case of black shales coincided with the release of the heavy metals Fe, Mn and Ni. By following sulfur concentrations throughout the experiment, it was shown that heavy metal release is not due to pyrite oxidation. Ground black shale and charcoal samples were inoculated with S. commune in a diluted minimal medium containing aspartic acid and glucose. The aqueous and solid phases were sampled after 1, 7, 28 and 84 days. DOC was measured as non purgeable carbon and characterized by size exclusion chromatography and UV detection. Carbon concentrations of the solid phase were determined by element analyses. After initial decrease of the DOC concentrations due to the degradation of the carbon source provided with the medium, DOC increased up to 80 mg/l after 84 days. Carbon decreased in the solid fraction confirming that this carbon was released as DOC by the fungus. The newly generated DOC formed larger agglomerations than the DOC of the growth medium. The investigation proved that the degradation of persistent carbon sources, such as charcoal and black shale, is accelerated by fungal activity. Consequently, the associated release of heavy metals is also accelerated by the fungus. Main products of the biological degradation processes were organic heavy metal complexes which can enter the environment.     

The use of MSSV pyrolysis to assist the molecular characterisation of aquatic natural organic matter

Microscale sealed vessel pyrolysis (MSSVpy) with online gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used with several other established and complementary analytical methods to robustly characterize the structure of aquatic natural organic matter (NOM) and to practically assess the analytical value of MSSVpy. The NOM used in the study was from North Pine (NP) reservoir, which is one of the major source waters supplying Brisbane, the capital city of the Australian state of Queensland. The reservoir has moderate dissolved organic carbon (DOC; 5 mg L⁻¹) levels and is impacted by algae which periodically occur in bloom proportions. The hydrophobic (HPO; 65% initial DOC) and transphilic (TPI; 12%) fractions showed H/C values >1, low UV_abs and low aryl-C measured by NMR which are all indicative of low aromaticity. MSSVpy produced distinctly higher product concentrations than traditional flash pyrolysis and the molecular profile of the HPO and TPI fractions revealed by MSSVpy was correlated with the other analytical data to help establish their structural relevance. Prolific distributions of alkyl substituted aromatic (e.g., benzenes, naphthalenes) and hydroaromatic (e.g., tetralins) products detected in the HPO fraction were attributed to the aromatisation of terpanes and other aliphatic compounds from algal, and possibly also plant sources. Alkyl phenols also detected in HPO in high abundance, are probably from algal biopolymers, but may also reflect a contribution from non-methoxylated lignin units of catchment grasses. There was no analytical evidence of the dihydroxy or methoxy aromatic structures typical of wood lignin or tannin. N-organic pyrolysates (e.g., alkyl pyrroles, pyridines, indoles) of diagenetically altered proteins were concentrated in the TPI fraction. The quantitative importance of the N-organic moiety of the TPI fraction was corroborated by a low C/N ratio and distinctive amide and amine signals detected by ¹³C NMR and FTIR. This integrated study demonstrates that the qualitative speciation provided by MSSVpy can make a significant contribution to the structural characterisation and source recognition of aquatic NOM.     

Spatial and temporal variability in the relationship between water colour and dissolved organic carbon in blanket peat pore waters

The transfer of carbon from terrestrial peat to the fluvial environment forms an important component of the peatland carbon cycle, and has major implications for water quality. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is generally considered the largest constituent of aquatic carbon and tends to be the most intensively monitored, particularly in peatland catchments. However, many long-term records for DOC are based on proxy studies that use water colour as a surrogate. This paper tests the robustness of using spectrophotometric techniques to monitor water colour, based on absorbance from a single wavelength at 400 nm, as a surrogate for true DOC determination. The general ability of spectrophotometric analysis to measure low DOC concentrations depends on the calibration used; thus, the minimum mass of DOC detectable varies considerably and in this study was found to be as high as 10.32 mg C L^− 1. While there is often a significant correlation between water colour and DOC, it was found that the use of single or even “pooled” regressions to predict DOC concentrations could result in miscalculations of more than 50%. Further, the water colour-DOC relationship in blanket peat pore waters was found to vary significantly between peat layers, land management treatments and through time. Thus, studies using long-term water colour records as a proxy for long-term DOC concentrations in peatlands must be treated with a certain degree of caution, especially in cases where changes may have taken place to DOC production, such as those caused by land management change, during the course of investigation.     

Effects of lignin and chlorolignin in pulp mill effluents on the binding and bioavailability of hydrophobic organic pollutants

The partition coefficients (K_p) of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), 3,3′,4,4′-tetrachlorobiphenyl (TCB) and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) to dissolved kraft lignin (Indulin AT), chlorolignin isolated from a bleached kraft mill effluent (BKME) and dissolved organic matter (DOM) in a lake receiving BKME were measured by equilibrium dialysis. The K_p values of kraft lignin were 28.2 × 10⁵, 6.5 × 10⁵ and 15.9 × 10⁵ and those of chlorolignin were 8.3 × 10⁵, 2.9 × 10⁵ and 2.2 × 10⁵ for BaP, TCB and TCDD, respectively. In addition, DOM in a series of lake water samples collected from the southern part of Lake Saimaa, SE Finland, receiving BKME revealed higher binding capacities to all of the three model compounds than natural DOM in water upstream from the pulp mill. An important phenomenon related to the environmental transport and fate of xenobiotics was almost the full reversibility of the binding between chlorolignin and model compounds. The obtained K_p values of chlorolignin after a 4 day dissociation period were 12.6 × 10⁵ and 4.6 × 10⁵ for BaP and TCDD, respectively.In short-term (24 h) accumulation experiments with Daphnia magna the effects of kraft lignin and chlorolignin on the bioavailability of three model compounds was very clear. The bioconcentration factors of the xenobiotics in the chlorolignin containing water (DOC = 10 mg C/l) were 20–30 and 25–35% of those organic-free control and upstream reference waters (DOC = 7.2 mg C/l), respectively. The effect of chlorolignin of BKME on the bioavailability of model compounds was also seen in the lake water series of Lake Saimaa.     

A pilot study of children's exposure to CCA-treated wood from playground equipment

Arsenic from chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood, widely used in playgrounds and other outdoor equipment, can persist as surface residues on wood. This raises concerns about possible health risks associated with children playing on CCA-treated playgrounds. In a Pilot Study, 11 children (13-71 months) in homes with and without CCA-treated playgrounds were evaluated with post-exposure hand rinses and urine for total arsenic. Samples of wood, soil, and mulch, as well as synthetic wipes, were sampled for total arsenic. In non-CCA-treated playgrounds vs. CCA-treated playgrounds, respectively, wood arsenic was <2.0 mg/kg vs. mean arsenic 2370 mg/kg (range 1440-3270 mg/kg); soil arsenic was <3.0 mg/kg vs. mean arsenic of 19 mg/kg (range 4.0-42 mg/kg); mulch arsenic at one non-CCA-treated playground was 0.4 mg/kg vs. two CCA-treated playgrounds of 0.6 and 69 mg/kg. The arsenic removed using a synthetic wipe at non-CCA-treated playgrounds was <0.5 microg, while mean arsenic from CCA-treated wood was 117 microg (range 1.0-313). The arsenic mass from hand rinses for children who played at non-CCA-treated playgrounds was <0.2 microg, while mean arsenic mass was 0.6 microg (range <0.2-1.9) at CCA-treated playgrounds. Mean urinary total arsenic levels were 13.6 pg/ml (range 7.2-23.1 pg/ml) for all children evaluated, but there was no association between access to CCA-playgrounds and urinary arsenic levels. Arsenic speciation was not performed. This preliminary Pilot Study of CCA-treated wood playgrounds observed dislodgeable arsenic on 11 children's hands after brief periods of play exposure. Future efforts should increase the number of children and the play exposure periods, and incorporate speciation in order to discriminate between various sources of arsenic.     

Influence of fire retardants on smoke generation from wood and wood derived materials

The influence of three fire retardant agents: Polichron, Pyrolak W-10, and Pyrolak W-10 + Pyrolak W-1 on smoke density of pine wood, plywood, soft hardboard and tough hardboard was investigated. Surface samples of 25 cm² (5 × 5 cm) were used and the heat flux was varied over the range of 1.0 to 4.0 W/cm². Reference: Tadeusz Cisek and Jacek Piechocki, Influence of Fire Retardants on Smoke Generation from Wood and Wood Derived Materials,Fire Technology, Vol. 21, No. 2, May 1985, p. 122.     

Electrodialytic remediation of CCA-treated waste wood in a 2 m(3) pilot plant

Waste wood that has been treated with chromated-copper-arsenate (CCA) poses a potential environmental problem due to the content of copper, chromium and arsenic. A pilot plant for electrodialytic remediation of up to 2 m(3) wood has been designed and tested and the results are presented here. Several process parameters were investigated, and it was found that the use of collecting units and soaking of the wood prior to the electrodialytic process had a positive influence on the remediation process. There was a tendency towards higher removal of CCA from wood chips <2 cm, compared to larger wood size fractions. The best remediation efficiency was obtained in an experiment with an electrode distance of 60 cm, and 100 kg wood chips. In this experiment 87% copper, 81% chromium and >95% arsenic were removed. One other experiment was also analysed for arsenic. In this experiment the distance between the working electrodes was 1.5 m and here 95% As was removed. The results showed that arsenic may be the easiest removable of the copper, chromium and arsenic investigated here. This is very encouraging since arsenic is the CCA components of most environmental concern.     

A mass balance approach for evaluating leachable arsenic and chromium from an in-service CCA-treated wood structure

Many existing residential wood structures, such as playsets and decks, have been treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA). This preservative chemical can be released from these structures incrementally over time through contact with rainfall. The objective of this study was to evaluate the levels of arsenic and chromium leached from an in-service CCA-treated deck exposed to rainfall, as well as their possible impacts on soils and shallow groundwater. Two monitoring stations, one containing a CCA-treated deck and the other containing an untreated deck as a control, were constructed outside for this study. Rainfall, runoff water from the decks, soils below the decks, and infiltrated water through 0.7-m depth of soil were monitored for arsenic and chromium over a period of 3 years. The concentration of the CCA-treated deck runoff for arsenic (0.114-4.66 mg/L) and chromium (0.008-0.470 mg/L) were significantly (p<0.001) higher than the untreated deck runoff (< or =0.002 mg/L for both). During the 3-year monitoring period, 13% of the arsenic and 1.4% of the chromium were leached from the amount initially present in the CCA-treated wood. Arsenic levels (<0.1-46 mg/kg) in soils under the CCA-treated deck were significantly (p<0.001) higher than under the untreated deck (<0.1-2.7 mg/kg), while chromium levels were statistically the same below the two decks (2.4-9.6 mg/kg). Approximately 94% of the arsenic from the runoff was absorbed in the soils below the CCA-treated deck; the upper 2.5 cm of the soils captured 42% of the total. The infiltrated water concentrations for arsenic (<0.001-0.085 mg/L) and chromium (<0.001-0.010 mg/L) below the CCA-treated deck were both significantly (p<0.001) higher than below the untreated deck (< or =0.006 mg/L). The amounts of arsenic found in the infiltrated water below the CCA-treated deck represented 6% of total arsenic leached and less than 0.7% of the initial mass in the wood. The study demonstrated that exposure of a CCA-treated deck to rainfall resulted in elevated arsenic concentrations in both runoff and soil. Although only a relatively small fraction of the initial arsenic from the wood was found to infiltrate through the soil, these impacts were significant and caused the infiltrated water to exceed drinking water standards. The study suggests that potential exposures to arsenic exist indirectly through an environment that is contaminated with arsenic leached from in-service CCA-treated wood.     

Evaluation of effect of leaching medium on the release of copper,chromium, and arsenic from treated wood

There is increasing public concern about environmental contamination from preservative treated wood due to release of toxic preservative components to the environment. Leaching of wood preservatives from treated wood in service can be affected by a number of factors such as wood and preservative treatment characteristics and properties of water and soil substrate in which treated wood is placed i.e. salinity, pH, and temperature. Laboratory leaching tests usually require distilled or deionized water for leaching procedure however treated wood is generally exposed to different types of water and soil conditions. This study evaluates the release of copper, chromium and arsenic elements from chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood exposed to either distilled water, tap water, sea water or humic acid. Leaching tests were conducted in laboratory conditions using wood blocks treated with CCA wood preservative at either low or high retention levels. Results showed that tap water resulted in less preservative release when compared to the other leaching media used in the study. Humic acid was the most effective medium causing more element leaching. The percentage of components leached was always higher in wood blocks treated at the high retention in comparison with the low retention level. Our results from the leaching tests can be important in developing more realistic standard leaching methods to evaluate preservative components to be released from treated wood.     

Study of strengthening solutions for glued-laminated wood beams of maritime pine wood

The application of the concept of glued-laminated wood (glulam) to improve the mechanical properties of the solid wood of the maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) is the subject of this work. Two reinforced glued-laminated wood beams are proposed and assessed. The first is based on a concept of laminated wood composite with fiber glass; the second is based on the application of pultruded lamellas glued to the most stressed tensile region of the glued-laminated beams. In order to demonstrate the potential of the proposed strengthening solutions, a comparison between their mechanical behaviors and the mechanical behaviors of the conventional glued-laminated and solid beams are performed. Static load–deflection curves, an equivalent Young’s modulus, the ultimate strain and modulus of rupture are determined using 3-point quasi-static bending tests. In general, it is demonstrated the beneficial effect of the proposed strengthening solutions both in terms of resistance and ductility.     

Temporal variations in dissolved organic carbon concentrations in upland and lowland lakes in North Wales

Over a period of 18 months, the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration of a series of four lakes in North Wales was measured monthly. The lake catchment profiles consisted of an upland thin peat/soil (Llyn Cwellyn), an upland thin peat/soil associated with an adjacent area of small bog (Llyn Teyrn), an upland blanket bog (Llyn Conwy), and large lowland fen and fertile agricultural area (Llyn Cefni). The results examine the indirect effect of temperature and precipitation on the DOC concentrations found in the lakes fed by the catchments. The lowest DOC of the four sites was observed for Llyn Teyrn, varying from 1.2 to 3.30 mg/L, and with the highest being recorded for Llyn Cefni (5.45–10.83 mg/L). Temperature and rainfall data were both collected. Correlations with the DOC exhibited significant relationships with temperature for three of the sampled lakes Cwellyn (r 0.490), Teyrn (r 0.640) and Cefni (r 0.472). Recomputation versus 30‐ and 60‐day temperature lag times improved the correlation coefficients. The data showed weak and insignificant correlations for DOC versus rainfall for the three lakes, but the upland lake, Llyn Conwy, with its blanket bog catchment, did not demonstrate any statistical correlation with temperature, although it did show a significant correlation for DOC versus rainfall (r 0.553, P < 0.05). Over the sampling period, although tentative relationships were found among temperature, rainfall and DOC levels, an indirect association tempered by site hydrology is suggested.     

Coarse particulate matter and airborne endotoxin within wood stove homes

Emissions from indoor biomass burning are a major public health concern in developing areas of the world. Less is known about indoor air quality, particularly airborne endotoxin, in homes burning biomass fuel in residential wood stoves in higher income countries. A filter‐based sampler was used to evaluate wintertime indoor coarse particulate matter (PM_10‐2.5) and airborne endotoxin (EU/m³, EU/mg) concentrations in 50 homes using wood stoves as their primary source of heat in western Montana. We investigated number of residents, number of pets, dampness (humidity), and frequency of wood stove usage as potential predictors of indoor airborne endotoxin concentrations. Two 48‐h sampling events per home revealed a mean winter PM_10‐2.5 concentration (± s.d.) of 12.9 (± 8.6) μg/m³, while PM_2.5 concentrations averaged 32.3 (± 32.6) μg/m³. Endotoxin concentrations measured from PM_10‐2.5 filter samples were 9.2 (± 12.4) EU/m³ and 1010 (± 1524) EU/mg. PM_10‐2.5 and PM_2.5 were significantly correlated in wood stove homes (r = 0.36, P < 0.05). The presence of pets in the homes was associated with PM_10‐2.5 but not with endotoxin concentrations. Importantly, none of the other measured home characteristics was a strong predictor of airborne endotoxin, including frequency of residential wood stove usage.