Influences of wood preservation, lumber size, and weather on field leaching of red pine lumber

Abstract

Alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ) is a widely used wood preservative. This study evaluated leachate volume generation and contaminant leaching from ACQ-treated lumber during rainfall events in comparison to untreated lumber. The influences of wood preservation with ACQ, lumber size, and weather on leachate generation ratio and contaminant concentrations in wood leachate were investigated with four red pine lumber piles exposed to natural weather conditions. The average volumetric ratio of leachate to rainfall was significantly higher for the large-lumber piles (0.62) compared with the small-lumber piles (0.35). Less leachate was generated in the ACQ-treated lumber piles (0.42) than the untreated lumber piles (0.55). Leachate volume could be predicted with rainfall depth, air temperature, and wetted lumber surface area. Lumber size did not make a statistically significant difference in leachate quality except for zinc concentration. The average copper concentrations were 4034 μg/L in the leachate from the ACQ-treated lumber piles and 87 μg/L in the leachate from the untreated lumber piles. Moreover, ACQ treatment significantly increased leaching of arsenic and total dissolved solids. Copper concentration in leachate from ACQ-treated lumber can be predicted with rainfall intensity, the time interval between two consecutive leachate-generating events, rain copper concentration, and rain pH.

Keywords: Alkaline copper quaternary; Copper leaching; Lumber size; Rain; Wood leachate.