Outdoor & Yard / Products / Pressure-Treated Lumber, Decks, Fencing, and Playground Structures

Pressure-Treated Lumber, Decks, Fencing, and Playground Structures — outdoor safety profile

High risk

Not medical, veterinary, or professional safety advice, and not a substitute for a qualified professional — consult one. Full disclaimer →

Residential decks and playground equipment built in the 1990s and early 2000s with CCA-treated lumber continue leaching arsenic into surrounding soil.

What is this product?

Residential decks and playground equipment built in the 1990s and early 2000s with CCA-treated lumber continue leaching arsenic into surrounding soil. A child plays on a treated playground structure at a public park — a park built before 2003 when the CPSC banned CCA in playground equipment.

What's in it

Click any compound name for its full safety profile, regulatory consensus, and exposure data.

Additive

Who's most at risk

  • Children — Developing endocrine and neurological systems, higher exposure per body weight

How to use it more safely

  • Wear gloves and dust mask when cutting or sanding pressure-treated wood
  • Wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly after handling
  • Use only in outdoor applications away from food preparation areas
  • Allow wood to dry completely before contact with bare skin or play

Red flags — when to walk away

  • Contains known carcinogens — Arsenic, Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] — classified by IARC or NTP as carcinogenic or probably carcinogenic to humans
  • Overall risk level: high — Multiple hazard pathways identified for this product category

Green flags — what to look for

  • Third-party safety tested — Independent laboratory verification of safety claims

Safer alternatives

  • Cedar or Redwood — Naturally rot-resistant without chemical treatments; safer for food-contact areas
  • Composite Decking — Made from recycled wood-plastic blend; no toxic chemical exposure risk
  • Aluminum or Vinyl Fencing — Non-toxic, durable alternatives requiring no chemical treatment or handling precautions

Frequently asked questions

What's in Pressure-Treated Lumber, Decks, Fencing, and Playground Structures?

This product type can contain: Arsenic (inorganic), Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)], Copper, among others. Click any compound name above for the full safety profile.

Who should be careful with Pressure-Treated Lumber, Decks, Fencing, and Playground Structures?

Vulnerable populations identified for this product type: children.

How can I use Pressure-Treated Lumber, Decks, Fencing, and Playground Structures more safely?

Wear gloves and dust mask when cutting or sanding pressure-treated wood; Wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly after handling; Use only in outdoor applications away from food preparation areas

Are there safer alternatives to Pressure-Treated Lumber, Decks, Fencing, and Playground Structures?

Yes — consider: Cedar or Redwood; Composite Decking; Aluminum or Vinyl Fencing. See the Safer alternatives section above for details.

Sources (10)

Citations carried on this product's ALETHEIA record. A bracketed number in the text links to its entry here.

  1. CPSC (2003) — CCA Ban in Playground Equipment (2003) — regulatory
  2. EPA FIFRA (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act) · USA — regulation
  3. Biocidal Products Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 · EU — regulation
  4. IARC Monographs Volume 100C: Arsenic and Arsenic Compounds (2012) — regulatory (inherited from a compound record)
  5. US EPA IRIS Assessment: Arsenic, Inorganic (1998) — regulatory (inherited from a compound record)
  6. IARC Monographs Volume 100C: Chromium (VI) Compounds — Arsenic, Metals, Fibres, and Dusts (2012) — regulatory (inherited from a compound record)
  7. US EPA IRIS: Chromium VI — Toxicological Review (Inhalation, Final) (2010) — regulatory (inherited from a compound record)
  8. ATSDR: Toxicological Profile for Copper — Essential vs Toxic Threshold, Wilson's Disease, Lead and Copper Rule, Plumbing Leaching, and Dietary Sources (2004) — regulatory (inherited from a compound record)
  9. US EPA: Aquatic Life Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Copper — Freshwater Criterion (Hardness-Adjusted), Marine Criterion (3.1 μg/L), Salmonid Olfactory Impairment, and Stormwater Runoff Context (2007) — regulatory (inherited from a compound record)
  10. US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) · USA — regulatory

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Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific information. Why we built ALETHEIA →