ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the environmental impacts of the most common wood preserving chemicals available on the market. Products covered include creosote, copper, chrome, arsenic, zinc boron and fluorine compounds, pentachlorophenol, dieldrin, lindane, tributyl tin oxide and permethrin. Due to the extremely large number of patented formulations, we have looked at preservatives in terms of the main chemicals used, the solvent (water, organic or other) and the mode of application. These can easily be related to specific products which, under the Control of Pesticides Act 1986, must have an ingredients list printed on the container.
