Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2006 Feb 1;40(3):994-9.
doi: 10.1021/es051471u.

Release of arsenic to the environment from CCA-treated wood. 2. Leaching and speciation during disposal

Bernine I Khan  1 , Jenna Jambeck, Helena M Solo-Gabriele, Timothy G Townsend, Yong Cai
Affiliations

Release of arsenic to the environment from CCA-treated wood. 2. Leaching and speciation during disposal

Bernine I Khan et al. Environ Sci Technol. .

Abstract

Wood treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) is primarily disposed within construction and demolition (C&D) debris landfills, with wood monofills and municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills as alternative disposal options. This study evaluated the extent and speciation of arsenic leaching from landfills containing CCA-treated wood. In control lysimeters where untreated wood was used, dimethylarsinic acid (DMAA) represented the major arsenic species. The dominant arsenic species differed in the lysimeters containing CCA-treated wood, with As(V) greatest in the monofill and C&D lysimeters and As(III) greatest in the MSW lysimeters. In CCA-containing lysimeters, the organoarsenic species monomethylarsonic acid (MMAA) and DMAAwere virtually absent in the monofill lysimeter and observed in the C&D and MSW lysimeters. Overall arsenic leaching rate varied for the wood monofill (0.69% per meter of water added), C&D (0.36% per m), and MSW (0.84% per m) lysimeters. Utilizing these rates with annual disposal data, a mathematical model was developed to quantify arsenic leaching from CCA-treated wood disposed to Florida landfills. Model findings showed between 20 and 50 t of arsenic (depending on lysimeter type) had leached prior to 2000 with an expected increase between 350 and 830 t by 2040. Groundwater analysis from 21 Florida C&D landfills suspected of accepting CCA-treated wood showed that groundwater at 3 landfills was characterized by elevated arsenic concentrations with only 1 showing impacts from the C&D waste. The slow release of arsenic from disposed treated wood may account for the lack of significant impact to groundwater near most C&D facilities at this time. However, greater impacts are anticipated in the future given that the maximum releases of arsenic are expected by the year 2100.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Cumulative mass of arsenic species leached from the Control (top) and CCA-containing (bottom) monofill lysimeter.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cumulative mass of arsenic species leached from the Control (top) and CCA-containing (bottom) C&D lysimeter.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Cumulative mass of arsenic species leached from the Control (top) and CCA-containing (bottom) MSW lysimeter.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Estimated mass of arsenic leached per year from C&D, monofill, and MSW landfills.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Arsenic speciation distribution for downgradient wells characterized by arsenic concentrations above detection limits. Each number corresponds to one particular C&D landfill facility.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

References

    1. Townsend TG, Solo-Gabriele HM, Tolaymat T, Stook K. Impact of chromated copper arsenate (CCA) in wood mulch. The Science of the Total Environment. 2003;309:173–185. - PubMed
    1. Solo-Gabriele H, Townsend T. Disposal practices and management alternatives for CCA-treated wood waste. Waste Management Research. 1999;17:378–389.
    1. Solo-Gabriele HM, Townsend T, Messick B, Calitu V. Characteristics of chromated copper treated – wood ash. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 2001;89(2–3):213–232. - PubMed

    1. Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). Florida Administrative Code, Solid Waste Management Facilities, Chapter 62, Section 701. FDEP, Tallahassee, FL, 2004.

    1. Townsend T, Tolaymat T, Solo-Gabriele H, Dubey B, Stook K, Wadanambi L. Leaching of CCA treated wood: implications for waste disposal. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 2004;B114(2004):75–91. - PubMed

Publication types