ECO-USA SEARCH Toxics Waste Sites Organizations Government Destinations Cohabitants Reviews Links This & That ©2007 by Mike Habeck

Eco-USA: Frequently Asked Questions Frequently Asked Questions Is it a good idea to use pressure treated lumber as a border on my garden? This is without doubt the single most frequently asked question. Although the materials historically used to pressure treat lumber - creosote, or various metals - are designed to remain in the wood for a long time (otherwise, the wood would rot quickly) there is little doubt that they do eventually leach out into their surroundings. Even pressure-treated wood does not last forever in the outdoors. The extent to which the toxins in pressure-treated wood travel in the soil and whether they get taken up into plants and vegetables depends on many factors, including the chemical characteristics of the toxins, the acidity, carbon content, soil type and other factors in soil chemistry, and of course on the types of plants involved. My personal preference is to avoid the problem entirely by not using decorative borders at all. Where such a border is deemed necessary, you might consider using bricks instead. Has my past exposure to a particular chemical caused a health problem? This is a question best asked of a physician or epidemiologist. Unfortunately, neither is employed by Eco-USA. It's difficult if not impossible to predict whether a given human being will produce a relatively obvious response, like an allergic reaction to bee stings or pollen, much less the long term effects of exposure to a suite of different and potentially hazardous compounds. The situation is further complicated by the fact that we are all exposed to a myriad of different chemicals every day, and many of them are of relatively recent invention - that is, they are not compounds to which we humans have grown accustomed over the eons of our evolution. Many of these chemicals are tested on one or more species of laboratory animals, but few are used in controlled experiments on human beings. So science doesn't always have a good idea of how individual chemicals might affect human health, much less how large groups of many different chemicals, acting in concert, might affect us now or many years in the future. Given this level of uncertainty, the best non-medical/legal advice we can offer is to avoid unnecessary contact with suspect substances, and to regard with caution the advice of those who claim to be able to diagnose such problems over the internet. I found a caterpillar and it's now a chrysalis/coccoon. How long will it be before the butterfly/moth emerges? This can be a difficult question to answer. The best answer is usually, "wait and see"! But that's not very helpful. The time it takes for a butterfly or moth to emerge depends on a number of factors. What is the normal life cycle of the species in your area? For example, does the species overwinter in the pupal stage? Temperature can also play an important role in the development of the adult insect in the pupal stage. A species which is "programmed" to emerge in the spring after overwintering in the pupal stage may emerge much more quickly if kept inside a warm house. If all else fails, try waiting about three weeks. ;-)