Leaching of Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) Wood Preservative into the Aquatic Environment - a Review

The scarcity of timber and its rising costs necessitates the use of chemical preservative treated wood for aquatic use. Preservative treated wood contains components that may be harmful to the environment. The wood treated with the most common preservative, Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA), may form a significant source of metals in the aquatic environment. The studies on the factors affecting the leaching rates like pH, salinity, and temperature of the leaching media, the block size and the preservative treatment conditions are reviewed. Recent studies have generated conflicting data in this regard and Field studies in this direction are also found to be few. This communication highlights the need for further research in this field.