Is it Safe to Use Treated Wood Around an Organic Garden?
Organic gardeners sometimes like to plant their crops in raised beds or to edge traditional gardens with wood. Pressure treated lumber remains a popular choice because it resists insects and rot. However the question persists about its safety. Does this Spark an idea?
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Pressure Treated Lumber
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Some wood products have been treated under high pressure with chemicals containing both arsenic and copper. These chemicals make the wood more resistant to the elements.
Leaching
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Eventually, however, even pressure treated wood decomposes. As this happens, scientists believe that the arsenic and copper in wood leaches into the soil.
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Issues for Organic Gardeners
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The possibility of copper and arsenic leaching into the garden soil and getting absorbed into the fruits and vegetables grown there concerns many organic gardeners.
The Debate
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Though some disagree on this issue, most scientists say that the amounts of arsenic and copper that find their way into food grown in soil tainted in this way appears insignificant.
Alternatives
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Concerns remain both about crops and about the effects of tainted soil on the water supply. Alternatives coat pressure treated wood with a waterproof sealant or separate it from garden soil with plastic in raised bed plots . Another alternative method uses bricks or stones instead of wood.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Christian Guthier
