Telephone poles, cross ties, and other wood materials can be treated with chemicals that are dangerous to keep indoors.
The below is a guest post from Mike Honeycutt, Director of Toxicology at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Environmental Defense Fund appreciates the agency’s efforts to alert the public about a serious indoor air health issue.
At the Toxicology Division of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), we often receive phone calls from citizens with questions about various environmental concerns. Over the past few months, we received several calls asking if it is safe to use old wood materials inside homes, the most concerning of which came this past week from a realtor in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. She had shown several homes recently that she suspected had used treated wood materials from telephone poles and cross ties as rustic accents. The realtor was concerned about using those materials inside where people could be exposed – and her intuition was spot-on.[Tweet “Rustic or Dangerous? Why Keeping Treated Wood Materials Indoors Can be a Bad Idea”]
Telephone poles, cross ties, and other wood materials intended for outdoor usage can be treated with chemicals in order to prevent insect and weather damage. One of the more common wood preservatives is creosote, which can contain chemicals like phenols, cresols, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that can volatilize into the air.
In enclosed spaces like houses, especially the houses of today that are tightly-sealed for energy efficiency, these chemicals may accumulate to levels of health concern. These chemicals are respiratory irritants, and prolonged exposure may lead to other serious health concerns, possibly even cancer. There are no government-approved uses of creosote to treat wood for indoor, residential purposes.
Some wooden pallets have been treated with chemicals, so DIY-ers should pay attention to the wood source. Even if not chemically-treated, the pallets may have transported food or materials sprayed with pesticides or other toxic chemicals.
The TCEQ is a strong proponent of recycling and reusing materials. However, using treated wood inside your home can be a bad idea. Treated wood should be sold with end-tags or stamps that identify the type of preservatives used on the wood. If you don’t see a label or stamp, ask the retailer or builder.
More information on creosote: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/substances/toxsubstance.asp?toxid=18
Photo source: flickr/Jessica Wilson