I have seen a few postings of the wonderful catches of fish here lately. I have noticed that some of the postings have photos of fish laid out on the docks or on cleaning tables for those fabulous photos. Please note that these fish are not to be consumed--even in SMALL amounts if they are placed on or cleaned on CCA treated lumber. The poisons used for the treatment of lumber can be fatal.
I had hired a guide, about two months ago, that was going to clean our catch for us at the end of the day. I did not know where he was going to clean them--I just knew he was going to clean them for us. I was busy getting my gear and my truck packed then walked back to his boat parked at the dock and found him cleaning our fish on the dock on some newly installed treated lumber. I guess I should have said something, but I just grabbed my bag of fillets when he was finished and slipped them into the dumpster on the ride out of the parking lot.
I can surely think of a lot of better ways to die than from being poisoned to death. It is incredible, but a single 12 foot 2 x 6 contains about 27 grams of Arsenic - enough arsenic to kill 250 adults. Burning CCA wood releases the chemical bond holding Arsenic in the wood, and just one tablespoon of ash from a CCA wood fire contains a lethal dose of Arsenic. Worse yet, Arsenic gives no warning, it does not have a specific taste or odor to warn you of its presence. No one disputes that the ash from burning CCA wood is highly toxic. It is illegal to burn CCA wood in all 50 states.
Arsenic can be absorbed through the skin, inhaled or ingested. One-tenth of a gram (that isn't much) accumulated over a two month period can produce death, and arsenic is carcinogenic at much lower levels.
There is no one set of symptoms. Different people respond differently, depending on how much exposure they get, and by what means. Just to name a few: Swallowing or inhaling low levels of arsenic can result in stomach ache, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. It can also result in decreased production of red and white blood cells, which may cause fatigue, abnormal heart rhythm, blood-vessel damage resulting in bruising, and impaired nerve function. One of the early warning signs of arsenic poisoning is a "pins and needles" sensation in hands and feet. Long-term oral exposure to arsenic can result in skin changes including a darkening of the skin and the appearance of small "corns" or "warts" on the palms, soles, and torso. Other signs and symptoms include skin thickening, fluid accumulation (resulting in puffiness) especially around the lower eyelids, face and ankles, diarrhea, garlic breath, perspiration, excessive salivation, generalized itching, oral inflammation, sore throat, runny nose, excessive tearing, numbness, skin inflammation, hair loss, weakness, and loss of appetite. Arsenic can also cause a range of neurological effects, including headaches and vision problems. It can cause noticeable behavioral changes, most commonly aggression or depression, Enzyme inhibitor, anorexia, chronic anemia, drowsiness, dermatitis, stomatitis, liver dysfunction, hair loss, headache, vertigo, fever, stupor, herpes, jaundice, fluid loss, throat constriction, spasms, respiratory tract infection, garlicky odor to stool, keritosis, pallor, goiter.
If you have a concern of possible ingestion of arsenic, please see your physician so that a bloodwork can be done to check your arsenic level. The speciman will probably have to be sent to a special lab for the testing and it will take a couple of days to get the results. If you don't believe that treated lumber is dangerous--look it up yourself on the internet. Please, everyone--be careful! I just felt I needed to let everyone that may be interested have knowledge of just how dangerous this stuff is. I am not pointing fingers at anyone in particular, just concerned for people who are not aware of this danger.
I had hired a guide, about two months ago, that was going to clean our catch for us at the end of the day. I did not know where he was going to clean them--I just knew he was going to clean them for us. I was busy getting my gear and my truck packed then walked back to his boat parked at the dock and found him cleaning our fish on the dock on some newly installed treated lumber. I guess I should have said something, but I just grabbed my bag of fillets when he was finished and slipped them into the dumpster on the ride out of the parking lot.
I can surely think of a lot of better ways to die than from being poisoned to death. It is incredible, but a single 12 foot 2 x 6 contains about 27 grams of Arsenic - enough arsenic to kill 250 adults. Burning CCA wood releases the chemical bond holding Arsenic in the wood, and just one tablespoon of ash from a CCA wood fire contains a lethal dose of Arsenic. Worse yet, Arsenic gives no warning, it does not have a specific taste or odor to warn you of its presence. No one disputes that the ash from burning CCA wood is highly toxic. It is illegal to burn CCA wood in all 50 states.
Arsenic can be absorbed through the skin, inhaled or ingested. One-tenth of a gram (that isn't much) accumulated over a two month period can produce death, and arsenic is carcinogenic at much lower levels.
There is no one set of symptoms. Different people respond differently, depending on how much exposure they get, and by what means. Just to name a few: Swallowing or inhaling low levels of arsenic can result in stomach ache, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. It can also result in decreased production of red and white blood cells, which may cause fatigue, abnormal heart rhythm, blood-vessel damage resulting in bruising, and impaired nerve function. One of the early warning signs of arsenic poisoning is a "pins and needles" sensation in hands and feet. Long-term oral exposure to arsenic can result in skin changes including a darkening of the skin and the appearance of small "corns" or "warts" on the palms, soles, and torso. Other signs and symptoms include skin thickening, fluid accumulation (resulting in puffiness) especially around the lower eyelids, face and ankles, diarrhea, garlic breath, perspiration, excessive salivation, generalized itching, oral inflammation, sore throat, runny nose, excessive tearing, numbness, skin inflammation, hair loss, weakness, and loss of appetite. Arsenic can also cause a range of neurological effects, including headaches and vision problems. It can cause noticeable behavioral changes, most commonly aggression or depression, Enzyme inhibitor, anorexia, chronic anemia, drowsiness, dermatitis, stomatitis, liver dysfunction, hair loss, headache, vertigo, fever, stupor, herpes, jaundice, fluid loss, throat constriction, spasms, respiratory tract infection, garlicky odor to stool, keritosis, pallor, goiter.
If you have a concern of possible ingestion of arsenic, please see your physician so that a bloodwork can be done to check your arsenic level. The speciman will probably have to be sent to a special lab for the testing and it will take a couple of days to get the results. If you don't believe that treated lumber is dangerous--look it up yourself on the internet. Please, everyone--be careful! I just felt I needed to let everyone that may be interested have knowledge of just how dangerous this stuff is. I am not pointing fingers at anyone in particular, just concerned for people who are not aware of this danger.
