Is Pressure-Treated Wood Safe?
The concern is mostly older wood. The EPA says chromated arsenicals, which include chromated copper arsenate or CCA, are pesticides containing chromium, copper and/or arsenic that protect wood against termites, fungi and other pests, and that before 2004 wood treated with them was used in residential structures such as decks. In December 2003, manufacturers voluntarily stopped making chromated arsenicals-treated wood products for homeowner uses.
The EPA says chromated arsenicals pose cancer and non-cancer health risks of concern to workers in wood treatment facilities, and that it did not find health risks of concern for the general public. It does not require removing existing structures made with the treated wood or the surrounding soil, and says regularly applying a penetrating protective coating, such as an oil- or water-based stain, to an older deck may reduce the leaching of chemicals.
For handling, the EPA says to wear goggles and a dust mask when sawing wood treated with chromated arsenicals and to wash your hands afterward, never to burn CCA or other preservative-treated wood at home because of possible inhalation of toxic chemicals in the smoke and ash, and not to reuse it in products such as mulch. It says homeowners can usually dispose of it with ordinary trash collection, though state and local governments may have their own instructions.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Government sourceThe EPA says chromated arsenicals, including chromated copper arsenate, are pesticides containing chromium, copper and/or arsenic that protect wood against termites, fungi and other pests. US EPA ↗
- Regulatory filingThe EPA says wood treated with chromated arsenicals was used in residential structures before 2004, and that manufacturers voluntarily stopped making it for homeowner uses in December 2003. US EPA ↗
- Government sourceThe EPA says chromated arsenicals pose cancer and non-cancer health risks of concern to workers in wood treatment facilities, and that it did not find health risks of concern for the general public. US EPA ↗
- Government sourceThe EPA does not require removal of existing structures made with chromated arsenicals-treated wood, and says regularly applying a penetrating protective coating may reduce leaching of chemicals. US EPA ↗
- Government sourceThe EPA says not to burn CCA or other preservative-treated wood at home, to wear goggles and a dust mask when sawing it, and not to reuse it in products such as mulch. US EPA ↗
- Government sourceThe EPA says homeowners can usually dispose of chromated arsenicals-treated wood with ordinary trash collection, but that state and local governments may have specific instructions. US EPA ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.