New Australian research appears to have established a process for the safe incineration of CCA-treated wood - a breakthrough of potentially huge significance in the battle to reduce landfill. THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL Engineering at the University ofSydney has just completed a study that has established a practical process for burning the wood and safely retrieving the chemicals. This follows academic research projects underway in the United States to remove copper chromium and arsenic from CCA-treated wood (including one which employs the organic acids released by mould and fungi). Sydney University professor of chemical engineering Brian Haynes says his team learned useful lessons from the US work. "Florida has led the way in research into the combustion of CCA-treated wood. The state has a limited amount of land available for landfill. A lot of wood was being buried taking up valuable space and, tests showed that arsenic levels in the water table were increasing, giving rise to concern that there might be leaching from the landfill sites."
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