Some Relative Lifetime Risks

Including using CCA-treated timber for decks, handrails, and playgrounds

Compiled from US data by Dr Harry Greaves, Wood Products Consultant

Activity	Risk Estimate
Risk of cancer from 1 light beer a day for 1 year	1 in 50,000
Risk of being struck by lightning	1 in 10,000
Risk of death from accidents in the home in 1 year	1 in 10,000
Risk of cancer from eating a peanut butter sandwich per day for 1 year	1 in 100,000
Risk of cancer death from smoking 1 pack/day for 30 years	1 in 10,000
Risk of death from an accident during 50 years of driving	1 in 100
Risk of dying from cancer	1 in 4
Risk of drowning for children under 5 years old	1 in 105,000
Estimated lifetime cancer risk from As at 3ppm in soil under playgrounds – Florida DEP (in Paling)	1 in 105,000
Risk of skin cancer from playing in soil under decks – Teaf and Solo-Gabriele (in Paling)	1 in 1,000,000
Lifetime cancer risk from airborne As emissions from a treatment plant	1 in 2,000,000
Lifetime bladder or lung cancer risk from daily intake of drinking water containing 3µg/L As – National Research Council	1 in 1000
Lifetime risk of cancer for a baby crawling on a deck - Maas	1 in 850
Lifetime bladder cancer risk from a playground – US CPSC	1 in 10,000
Lifetime lung cancer risk from a playground – US CPSC	1 in 500,000
Lifetime risk of cancer for an adult using a handrail – Maas	1 in 1275
Risk of death from cancer from 5 years exposure to soil containing 25ppm As beneath playgrounds equipment – Teaf (in Paling)	1 in 1,000,000
Risk of injury requiring emergency room treatment to a child playing on playground equipment over a 5 year period	1 in 250
Risk of death from injury on playground equipment over a 5 year period	1 in 3,000,000
Risk of lung cancer from occupational exposure to CCA-treated timber wood dust, EU workers	4-6 in 10,000

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Sources:

Paling, J. (2001). Appraisal of Various Safety and Risk Issues Relating to Wood Treated with CCA, Creosote, and Pentachlorophenol as Currently used by Residential Consumers in the U.S. AWPI/Hopping Green Sams Smith. Jan 2001, 23 pp.

Maas R.P et al. (2002) Release of Total Chromium, Chromium VI and Total Arsenic from New and Aged Pressure Treated Lumber. UNC-A, EQI Tech. Report No. 02-093.

US Consumer Product Safety Commission (2003). Briefing package. Petition to ban chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood in playground equipment. Petition HP 01-3 US CPSC February 2003.

National Research Council. (1999). Arsenic in drinking water. National Academy Press. 1999.

WS Atkins International (1998). Assessments of the risks to health and to the environment of arsenic in wood preservatives and of the effects of further restrictions on its marketing and use. WS Atkins International Ltd., Epsom, Surrey April 1998.

Dr. Harry Greaves
Principal, HG Consulting
29/8/03

Whilst the TPAA endeavours to ensure that any advice, recommendation, specification or information it may give is accurate and correct, it cannot accept any liability either directly or indirectly arising from the use of products or information, whether or not in accordance with any advice, specification, recommendation or information given.

Website design by Carolyn Poehler. Content by Harry Greaves et al.