Poison on the Playground

Should Parents Be Concerned About Treated Wood?

By C.J. Johnson

"It is an uncanny thought that this lurking poison (arsenic) is everywhere about us, ready to gain unsuspected entrance to our bodies from the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe." Karl Vogel, 1928

Arsenic has been used since 3,000 B.C. for various medicinal and practical reasons. However, this substance is also acutely toxic and is a known carcinogen that has been the cause of bladder and lung cancer in countless cases. Surprisingly, it is also one of the components used to treat wood that is used in play structures on playgrounds all across the country.

Chromated copper arsenate (CCA) is a chemical preservative that protects wood from rotting due to microbial agents and insects. CCA contains arsenic, chromium and copper and has been used to pressure-treat lumber since the 1930s. Ever since the 1970s, the majority of the wood used in residential settings has been CCA-treated.

According to a report issued by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), the scientific evidence regarding health consequences of long-term arsenic exposures comes from cases of cancer found in Taiwan from people who drank water that was contaminated with arsenic. Epidemiological studies in that matter demonstrated a direct connection between arsenic in drinking water and increased incidences of lung and bladder tumors. Because of these findings, it was a concern that regular contact with wood treated with CCA could also lead to lung or bladder cancer.

Because of this strong connection between arsenic and cancer, various organizations became concerned for the health of children who regularly play on wooden play structures. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) and the Healthy Building Network (HBN) petitioned the CPSC to ban CCA-treated wood for use in playground equipment.

Acting directly to the petition, the CPSC began research to verify the health risks to children. As the CPSC staff reviewed their findings, they calculated the increased risk of cancer resulting from exposure to a given level of arsenic and the probability of a child developing lung or bladder cancer over his or her lifetime from exposure to arsenic in CCA-treated wood.

The CPSC released a fact sheet that summarized the criteria they used in their scientific research. According to that information, the following factors were considered in assessing the increased risk of cancer for children.

• The number of days children play on the CCA-treated play set each year;
• The number of years children play on the CCA-treated play set;
• The amount of arsenic that is picked up on their hands while they play;
• The amount of arsenic children ingest from their hands throughout the day.

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