36 yr old pressure treated lumber - Ask Extension
Is 36 year old pressure treated lumber ok to use for raised vegetable beds?
Knowledgebase
36 yr old pressure treated lumber #868554
Asked May 15, 2024, 1:24 PM EDT
Is 36 year old pressure treated lumber ok to use for raised vegetable beds?
Lamoille County Vermont
Expert Response
Hello John:
Since the pt wood you are thinking about using is 36 years old, I caution using it, and below is why.
Of course, the primary concern with using pressure treated wood in raised-bed gardens has been with the arsenic in CCA- (chromated copper arsenate) treated wood. This publication from Pennsylvania State University does a good job describing the risks of using both CCA-treated wood as well as ACQ- (alkaline copper quaternary) treatedwood: Environmental Soil Issues: Garden Use of Treated Lumber
ACQ -"This is an alternative wood-treatment chemical that contains noarsenic, chromium, or any other chemical considered toxic by the EPA."If you are shopping for treated lumber nowadays, I don't think you'll find CCA-treated material in the home centers anyway since its use wasrestricted by the EPA in 2004. It will be more likely be ACQ or someother chemical.
Here's a link to the complete article - https://extension.oregonstate.edu/ask-extension/featured/raised-bed-lumber-pressure-treated-safe
https://extension.umaine.edu/gardening/2024/04/03/is-it-safe-to-use-pressure-treated-lumber-for-raised-garden-beds/
I hope this information helps you make your final decision.
Since the pt wood you are thinking about using is 36 years old, I caution using it, and below is why.
Of course, the primary concern with using pressure treated wood in raised-bed gardens has been with the arsenic in CCA- (chromated copper arsenate) treated wood. This publication from Pennsylvania State University does a good job describing the risks of using both CCA-treated wood as well as ACQ- (alkaline copper quaternary) treatedwood: Environmental Soil Issues: Garden Use of Treated Lumber
With regards to CCA, they state, "Although the plant and human health risks from garden uses of CCA-treated lumber appear to be extremely small, there are steps gardeners can take to further reduce any such risks."
ACQ -"This is an alternative wood-treatment chemical that contains noarsenic, chromium, or any other chemical considered toxic by the EPA."If you are shopping for treated lumber nowadays, I don't think you'll find CCA-treated material in the home centers anyway since its use wasrestricted by the EPA in 2004. It will be more likely be ACQ or someother chemical.
Here's a link to the complete article - https://extension.oregonstate.edu/ask-extension/featured/raised-bed-lumber-pressure-treated-safe
https://extension.umaine.edu/gardening/2024/04/03/is-it-safe-to-use-pressure-treated-lumber-for-raised-garden-beds/
I hope this information helps you make your final decision.