Wood preservative test with GSA measuring devices PM4-2
A wood preservative test is advisable if a health hazard is suspected. The GSA measuring device PM4-2 is recommended for a wood preservative test.
The measuring device PM4-2 can provide meaningful measurements due to its relatively high air flow rate, even at locations with low levels of pollution.
After the wood preservative analysis, you can be sure whether there is a potential risk to health. Our measurement technicians will be happy to create a customized measurement concept for you.
Especially now in summer, people spend their free time in the garden. There, you can make yourself comfortable in the sun on the beautiful wooden furniture. To ensure that they last for a long time, they have been treated with wood preservatives. What are wood preservatives?
Wood preservative
Wood preservatives are all products that are used to protect the material wood from damaging influences.
In addition to solar radiation (UV exposure), these include microorganisms that damage or destroy the wood. However, the biggest enemy of wood as a material is moisture.
The pores of the wood absorb moisture like a sponge into the interior of the material. This allows fungal spores and microorganisms to penetrate the wood fibers, causing damage that ultimately leads to destruction.
DIN 68 800 applies, in which wood preservation is described as“the application of measures to prevent the depreciation or destruction of wood and wood-based materials – especially e.g. by fungi, insects” is described. The DIN 68 800 series of standards applies to the construction industry and sees timber construction without such means not only as possible, but as an obligation of the planning and executing professional groups.
Areas of application for wood preservatives
Wood preservatives can be found in both professional and private environments. They can be found in numerous fields of application in the woodworking industry.
In the private sector, these products are often used in gardens, as wooden seating and play equipment are becoming increasingly popular. However, as they are exposed to environmental influences, they require special treatment to ensure long-lasting enjoyment. When choosing the type of wood, you can opt for hard-wearing materials such as larch or robinia. Due to their natural properties, they are relatively resistant to insects and fungi.
In old buildings with wooden beams, old roof trusses, timber framing or wall paneling, wood preservatives were also used rather carelessly indoors in the 1970s.
Products containing PCP (pentachlorophenol) were widely used. It was often used as a wood preservative due to its fungicidal properties (for more on PCP, see our article on PCP).
With the awareness of its dangerous influence on health, the production of these agents was banned. However, this did not solve the problem, because even decades after painting with these products, there is still a risk to health.
On the one hand, this is due to the poor biodegradability of PCP, i.e. it remains in the environment for a long time. On the other hand, such wood preservatives could also be used by non-professionals, many of whom were unaware of the dangers. As a result, professional removal and re-treatment was only carried out in rare cases.
The use of wood preservatives in the garden
And what about the garden furniture? Is it better not to treat it? You really should avoid using strong chemical agents indoors. This is usually no problem, as large amounts of moisture from rain cannot penetrate the wood inside. The situation is of course different for furniture or play equipment in the garden. A combination of various protective measures for the wood will prove effective here. A patio, for example, should always be laid with a slight slope so that rainwater can run off quickly and the wood can dry. Wooden chairs and tables should not stand permanently in damp grass. Furthermore, when using wood preservatives such as varnishes, glazes or waxes/oils, you should pay attention to the “Blauer Engel” seal or the addition “safe for children’s toys after drying (DIN EN 71 Part 3)“. Both labels stand for strict test criteria and independent assessment.
Handling wood preservatives in everyday work
Contact with wood preservatives can also occur in the workplace. The protective measures that must be observed must be documented in the risk assessment and the employee must be instructed in them. Compliance with these measures is not only in the employer’s interest, but also in the employee’s own interest to protect their health.
Even if no wood preservatives are used in your own company, contact can still occur if wood preservatives are used during an external production step. A distinction must be made between products that require a general building approval. This group includes agents whose mode of action is aimed at protecting against, combating or preventing wood-destroying fungi and organisms. The agents are approved by the responsible German Institute for Building Technology (DIBt) with a limited period of validity (maximum five years).
Dangers from wood preservatives
What are the dangers of wood preservatives? The specific effects on health depend on the choice of agent. In the case of PCP, the danger is chronic toxicity, which manifests itself in skin changes (“chloracne”). With many other agents, irritation of the respiratory tract can occur if the substances are released into the ambient air (“outgassing”). Skin contact can lead to allergic reactions and rashes. To protect against this, it is advisable to wear gloves and other protective equipment during use. In general, the hazard symbols and instructions for use must be observed and followed.
Sources:
[1]: Source picture: © Piyawat Nandeenopparit / 123RF.com
[2]: https://www.bauen.de/a/holzschutz-im-aussenbereich.html
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[7]: https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/wissen/umwelt-haushalt/wohnen/holzschutz-vorfahrt-fuer-ungiftige-produkte-und-alternative-verfahren-10373
[8]: http://www.eggbi.eu/fileadmin/EGGBI/PDF/EGGBI_Kommentar__Holzschutzmittel.pdf
[9]: https://www.chemie.de/lexikon/Holzschutzmittel.html
[10]: https://informationsdienst-holz.de/fileadmin/Publikationen/1_Holzbau_Handbuch/R05_T02_F02_Holzschutz_Bauliche_Massnahmen.pdf
[11]: https://label-online.de/label/der-blaue-engel-textiles-spielzeug-schuetzt-umwelt-und-gesundheit/