Creosote-treated wood poles and crossarms: Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) results

Technical Report · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1992

OSTI ID:7107831

Horn, M E ^[1]; Holcombe, L; Owens, J B ^[2]

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1. Environmental Management Services, Waupaca, WI (United States)
2. Radian Corp., Austin, TX (United States)

The objective of this study was to develop a quantitative database on leachable concentrations of cresols (i.e., m-, o- and p-cresol isomers) from a population of creosote-treated utility wood poles and crossarms by application of the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP). The TCLP was promulgated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in March 1990 (55FR 11798). Data generated in this study indicate that creosote-treated utility poles and crossarms are non-hazardous. Measured concentrations of total cresols and other semi-volatile organic compounds, from wood subjected to TCLP analysis, were an order of magnitude or more below their current Toxicity Characteristic (TC) regulatory levels. The wood analyzed in this study consisted of 54 samples of wood poles and 6 crossarms. Subsamples, removed from full cross sectional slices of poles and crossarms, were prepared according to EPA procedures, subjected to the TCLP, and the resultant leachates analyzed for the presence of cresols and other semi-volatile compounds.

• Research Organization: Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States); Environmental Management Services, Waupaca, WI (United States); Radian Corp., Austin, TX (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: EPRI; Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States)
• OSTI ID: 7107831
• Report Number(s): EPRI-TR-100870
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400102 -- Chemical & Spectral Procedures
400105 -- Separation Procedures
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540220* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AROMATICS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
CREOSOTE
CRESOLS
DISSOLUTION
ELECTRIC UTILITIES
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
LEACHING
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHENOLS
PUBLIC UTILITIES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPECTROSCOPY
TOXICITY
WOOD