The national agricultural chemical regulator, the Australian Pesticides & Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) is moving to reclassify some end-use applications for timber treated with copper chrome arsenate (CCA). The re-classifiction is one of the conclusions contained in the final report of the APVMA’s review of arsenic timber treatments.
The Australian Plantation Products and Paper Industry Council (A3P) welcomed the findings of the review, noting that no evidence had been found that CCA treated timber posed an unacceptable risk to human health and that there was no cause for alarm.
In commenting on the review, A3P’s chief executive Belinda Robinson, said the industry supported most of the review’s findings. “In particular, the industry supports the APVMA decision to introduce requirements for improving some treatment plant practices, as well as product labelling and handling information.”
“This review has confirmed that used correctly, CCA, is a safe, practical and inexpensive timber treatment,” she said.
She indicated that despite CCA having been in use world-wide for more than 70 years without evidence of harm to human or environmental health, the APVMA took a precautionary position on the use of CCA as a timber treatment for “frequent and intimate” contact products, such as children’s play equipment, decking and outdoor furniture.
“These restrictions could create an impression that CCA treated products are unsafe, yet neither the APVMA or a series of reviews conducted in the USA, Canada, the EU and New Zealand have found any evidence that CCA treated timber has adverse human health impacts provided, of course, it is appropriately handled and managed,” Ms Robinson said.
“Stringent manufacturing and handling procedures are already in place, and distributors provide extensive factual information to customers about treated timber products.”
“This decision has effectively reversed the onus of proof. The same precautionary arguments put by the APVMA could apply equally to many of the products that we all have under the kitchen sink and in the garden shed,” she said.
Osmose, has indicated that it supports many of the changes prescribed by the APVMA, but is not supportive of the restriction on the use of CCA treated products for a small number of applications.
Osmose Australia’s general manager Elias Akle says, “It should be noted that the use of CCA for most other products, such as bearers and joists, fencing, other structural, landscaping and agricultural uses is not impacted by the APVMA decision.”
“We will work closely with our customers in the next twelve months to ensure that the industry is able to make any recomended changes and to ensure that a sensible approach to the continued use of CCA in a wide range of applications is taken,” Mr Akle said.
He also noted that the APVMA decision allows CCA treated timber to continue to be used in the vast majority of applications reinforcing its status as a safe, durable and inexpensive way to preserve wood for outdoor uses, when used as recommended.
“Osmose has already embraced many of the recommendations contained in the APVMA report. We had already moved on labeling and handling changes well before the APVMA review was completed. We saw this as a sensible approach to ensure that the public is aware of how CCA treated timber is to be used and urge users to read this type of information when they carry out building projects,” Mr Akle said.
Mr Akle confirmed that scientific data from the EU, United States and New Zealand concludes that if used correctly and relevant occupational health and safety requirements are followed, CCA timber treatment continues to represent a viable alternative to the use of plastic, metal and concrete.”
APVMA principle scientist David Loschke said, “Other key outcomes of the review include the requirement that CCA treated timbers be clearly labeled to improve consumer awareness and the introduction of greater controls on the availability and use of CCA by timber treatment plants,” said Dr Loschke.