Exposure and Risk Assessment for Arsenic from Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA)-Treated Wood Playground Equipment

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn June 2001, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or the Commission) docketed a petition from the Environmental Working Group and the Healthy Building Network that requested that the Commission enact an immediate ban of chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood for use in playground equipment. The request was based on the concern about health risks due to the presence of arsenic in the CCA formulation.To address the petition, the authors reviewed available data; evaluated existing standards, regulations, and economic data; performed exposure studies; and conducted a quantitative exposure and risk assessment that evaluated the risks to children from the use of CCA-treated wood playground equipment. The assessment estimated a theoretical increased lifetime risk of 2 to 100 per million of developing lung or bladder cancer for children aged 2–6 years from regular contact with arsenic residues on the surface of CCA-treated wood playground equipment, with risks of 0.2 to 5,000 per milli...