This study looked at the sediment and benthic organism effects of exposure to a Chromated Copper-Arsenate (CCA) treated wood bulkhead in a lake environment with respect to 1) the leaching and accumulation of chromium, copper and arsenic in the nearby sediments, 2) accumulation of these metals in local benthic organisms and 3) the effects of these metals on the local benthic community structure. Sediment samples, taken at regular distances away from a CCA bulkhead and three reference areas in a freshwater lake in Wayne, NJ, were sieved to remove the fine particle fraction (

Low temperature pyrolysis offers a feasible option for wood waste management and the recovery of a variety of useful chemicals. The effect of Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) wood preservatives on the yield and composition of various pyrolysis products was investigated in the present research. A novel quantitative 31P NMR methodology has been developed to quantify levoglucosan and levoglucosenone from the pyrolysate of CCA-treated and untreated wood. The CCA treatment on wood had a significant effect on the amount of main carbohydrate derived degradation products of tar. In particular, a higher yield of levoglucosan can be obtained compared to that from untreated wood. Phosphoric acid has proven to be an efficient catalyst to favor levoglucosenone formation. The pyrolysis of CCA-treated wood in the presence of phosphoric acid gave rise to high yields of levoglucosenone, which demonstrated the potential for a new pathway in the rational use of CCA-treated wood waste. Pretreated wood with metal compounds has demonstrated that K2Cr2O7 and CuSO4 salts promote the formation of levoglucosan. The CrO3 treatment was found to favor the formation of levoglucosenone. A kinetic study of the pyrolysis of CCA-treated wood by thermogravimetric analysis has shown that CCA components have a significant influence on the thermal decomposition behavior of CCA-treated wood, which accelerate the weight loss of wood and the oxidation of the char.