Are creosote-soaked railroad ties safe to use?
And is there a low-cost alternative? There are two main types of creosote: wood creosotes, which are derived from the creosote bush (Larrea) or beechwood (Fagus); and coal-tar creosotes, which are produced in the distillation process of coal tar. The creosote at question here is the latter a thick, sticky black substance used to preserve wood, including railroad ties, utility poles, and marine pilings. Creosote is composed of a mixture of chemicals, about 300 of which have been identified, but there could be up to 10,000 more present in the mixture. Some components of this chemical cocktail dissolve in water or seep from treated wood. They can contaminate soil and move into groundwater, and persist for many years. Of perhaps greater concern than contaminating your garden is the health risk that creosote presents to you. The International Agency for Research on Cancer and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have both found creosote to be a probable carcinogen. Low-level, long-term
