Evaluation of soil contamination by copper depleted from ACQ-treated wood

Abstract

"This research was performed to evaluate soil contamination caused by copper depleted from ACQ-treated wood. Three years after the exposure of ACQ-treated wood in the field test sites, soil samples around the treated wood were collected and analyzed for the copper amount and distribution through soil. Soils around the deck posts installed in five different neighborhood parks located in Chonnam and Gyeongnam were investigated for copper contents. The results of the field test showed that the amount of copper leached from the end surface of treated wood buried under soil was more than 1.5 times the copper amount leached from the lateral surfaces, and the mobility of copper was very restricted in soil. The copper contents of soil within 10 cm from the treated deck posts installed in the parks showed to be less than 500 mg/kg, which are the limit values of the 2nd region set up by enforcement regulation of soil environment conservation act. The distribution ranges of copper in soil from the treated wood set up in the field test sites seemed to be much wider than those from deck posts, which may explained by the fact that the retentions of the treated samples used in the field test sites were much higher than those of the deck posts.