Environmental Monitoring of Heavy Metals and Arsenic in Soils Adjacent to CCA-Treated Wood Structures in Gangwon Province, South Korea

Abstract

Chromated copper arsenate (CCA) is a chemical wood preservative that has been intensively used to protect wood from decay during the last few decades. CCA is widely used to build structures such as decks, fences, playgrounds and boardwalks. However, structures constructed of CCA-treated wood have caused adverse environmental effects due to leaching of Cr, Cu and As into surrounding soils. This research was conducted to monitor the vertical and horizontal distribution of Cr, Cu and As in soils adjacent to CCA-treated wood structures in Korea. Two structures constructed with CCA-treated wood were selected at Hongcheon and Chuncheon in Gangwon Province, South Korea. Eleven soil profile samples were collected at depths of 0 to 80 cm at each site, while 12 surface soil samples were collected at distances of 0 to 200 cm from each structure. The soil chemical properties, soil particle size distribution and total metal concentrations were then determined. The results revealed that soils near CCA-treated wood structures were generally contaminated with Cr, Cu and As when compared to the background concentration of each metal. In addition, the concentrations of Cr, Cu and As in soils decreased as the vertical and horizontal distance from the structure increased. Further studies should be conducted to evaluate the mobility and distribution of these metals in the environment as well as to develop novel technologies for remediation of CCA contaminated soils.