Treated Wood in Transition:
Less Toxic Options in Preserved and Protected Wood

Following the ban of chromated copper arsenate (CCA) treated wood by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2004, manufacturers have worked to find substitutes. This article examines and compares the current market leaders and cutting-edge alternatives. The most common treated wood products use copper-based fungi and insect inhibitors, which are relatively safe to humans but toxic to aquatic life, prone to leaching, and corrosive to metal fasteners. Borates protect wood from insects and fungi and are relatively non-toxic to mammals, but...