Ducati Monster Forum

It's no secret that I worked with chemicals most of my working life. I have emphysema because of being a lifelong smoker, and working in the auto body/paint industry. It's no surprise, and I can deal with it... I stopped smoking after my doc told me oxygen was next, and I didn't want to go there...

Recently I did a project at work using pressure treated lumber. I've been using it for the last 7 years with no apparent issues, but this last batch caused me to break out in blisters/pustules on my saw hand. No make the beast with two backsing idea what they're using now. I'm glad it's good for the environment...but what about me?

Arsenic used to be the primary chemical used in pressure treating softwood timber (in Australia at least).  I have no idea what better idea they have these days....  ???

Arsenic was the method here, until they decided that was bad for the environment. I have no idea what they use now, but it doesn't agree with me.

Amazing isn't it.  We've worked with these products all our long lives, we're still here.... and then some bright spark reckons it's bad for us and fixes it worse.

Hope you recovered quickly Nate.

Just to confuse things:

https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/overview-wood-preservative-chemicals

It was the PT decking that caused the reaction. According to howie's link, it might be Copper-HDO, or ACQ

What's weird is I've been working with PT decking since I started at the track, and arsenic was banned long ago. This is the first time I've had a reaction. The blisters went down overnight. Now the ones that broke are peeling.

@ducpainter can you take a photo of a label of the product and send it to me?

The tiny little tags stapled to the end of each board were all thrown out. I'll take a pic of one the next time I'm at the lumber yard.

Some "new" pressure treated lumber is made by treating it with ACQ (Alkaline Copper Quaternary) this stuff is nasty and can cause blistering and skin burns. I found out the hard way when I walked barefoot on a new deck. Not everyone is effected by it but it is a problem. Hope your clears quickly

The label says Micronized Copper Azole

I found the SDS for the product. I emailed what I found to Nate.  Short answer is to wear long sleeves and leather or fabric gloves. Prolonged exposure creates a worse response.

Good hand washing before eating, drinking, and smoking will help. For those that cut the wood and smoke, don't! It is a known human carcinogen.

Something will kill me. At my age, I feel pretty lucky. I just never had a reaction before, and found it weird.

Keep in mind, I've been working with chemicals most of my working career, and never had a reaction.

I liked the arsenic stuff better... ;D

When the arsenic is better for you than the newer stuff.....    ???


Take care of yourself Nate.

For some reason the environment is more important than people these days. Certain types put on blinders on regarding some subjects.

Don't get me wrong...the environment is important, but decisions are made with little regard for the true outcome.

I won't go into more detail to avoid becoming political, racist, or insensitive...take your pick. ;D

Me too.

We're old farts.   

Save the environment...kill the carpenters...

that;ll work.

Perfect time for a Rat Tale.


Dead-on......absolute "Green" practice would be to recognize that the human species itself is the "pollutant"

likewise an absolutely correct green company would cease commerce and shutter its doors with the employees inside and do a Heaven's Gate/Jonestown check-out

If you want to be a militant carbon footprint absolutist you are ethically compelled to eliminate yourself and all others within reach

I think it is all delusional since we have China cranking away on their side of the planet like Mordor picking up the slack for any country that thinks it is cleaning up the environment...

and then there's those pesky volcanoes spewing all sorts of gasses and matter into the atmosphere...the nerve!!....and cow farts killing the ozone layer!!!! oh dear God can't we put Beano in their feed???

Let's face it...Planet Earth is God's Comedy Channel and we are "The Human Show"....I know he/she/it is up there on the throne stamping its feet and slapping its legs and shaking its head in paroxysms of laughter

and we are sitting here sorting out plastic and metal....like polishing the deck rails on the Titanic as the species steams toward the ice

Who was it on TOB who had the "Humans Suck" tag line?

Short of us cracking the world apart with sufficient destructive energy,,,,the planet will survive us and all our notions and conceits.

Or how global commerce works.

I remember when certain fruits and vegetables were only available while they were in season - yes, refrigeration and preservation improvement have extended availability, but not year round sourced locally.

Ah RAT900 how I miss you still......