Is CCA-Treated Wood Being Used in Mulch?
Based upon current information, the mulch and soil industry believes only a very small percentage of mulch products (for example those using C&D wood) would be suspect of having any CCA-treated wood increasing the arsenic content potential of the product. The vast majority of mulch is made from virgin forest products such as tree bark and wood from sawmill operations. Some mulch is also made from recycled materials such as composted green waste or wood pallet grindings. But none of these materials, whether virgin or recycled, would contain treated wood or specifically CCA-treated wood. It appears the area of concern lies primarily with C&D wood that may contain CCA-treated materials. A joint study by the University of Florida and the University of Miami reported that there are no viable and practical technologies to identify, and thus separate, CCA-treated wood from other non-treated C&D materials. After several years of aging, CCAtreated wood looses its greenish coloration or may have
