ABSTRACT
Abstract To study the ultrastructure of bacterial wood decay, species of softwoods and hardwoods of varying lignin to cellulose contents, were exposed, either untreated or treated with copper chrome arsenate (CCA), in seawater, riverwater and soil. Examination by scanning and transmission electron microscopy ( S E M and T E M ) revealed three distinctive patterns of decay. These are described as: (1) Erosion (wide and narrow), (2) Cavitation and (3) Tunnelling (types I and I I ) . A l l timbers were subjected to the 3 types of bacterial attack, irrespective of their lignin to cellulose contents, the environment in which they were exposed and preservative treatment.
