Leaching of biocides from construction products is currently a research topic receiving attention from the European regulation authorities (CEN/TC 351).
In this paper we have focused on the leaching behaviour of CBA (copper-borateazoles) treated Pinus sylvestris.
To better define the chemistry of the leaching phenomena, two leaching tests (a static equilibrium test and a dynamic surface leaching test) have been carried out on untreated and treated wood, which offered more information about how the leaching of biocides interferes with other substances released from the wood structure.
Eluates, in liquid and lyophilised form, were further analyzed by analytical methods.
Organic (tebuconazole) and inorganic (Cu, B) biocides were quantified and several organic compounds have been identified (e.g.
carboxylic acids, phenols, amines, etc.).
Also, the total amount of phenols and of carboxylic groups was determined.
Results on inorganic compounds are in accordance with previous studies made on treated wood.
Furthermore, organic carbon, tebuconazole and other organic compounds' behaviour was extensively investigated.
This study aims to complete existing leaching data and to help developing a chemical model for several biocides in wood, including Cu, B and tebuconazole.
Biocide leaching was investigated for acrylate and vinyl acetate based coatings containing biocides either as liquid formulations or microcapsules. Laboratory and field tests indicate similar relations of results on carbendazim, diuron, terbutryn and OIT from different coatings in laboratory and field experiments. Emissions were higher in EN 16105 laboratory tests than from vertically installed test specimens exposed to weathering, and slower for microencapsulated biocides. Competing processes that cause losses of active substances can occur in both tests, but to a higher degree in field experiments. Emission curves related to runoff water were similar in repeated field experiments. Relative humidity, temperature and global radiation were identified as meteorological factors that affect leaching by complex interaction besides the amount of driving rain.
Biocide leaching was investigated for acrylate and vinyl acetate based coatings containing biocides either as liquid formulations or microcapsules. Laboratory and field tests indicate similar relations of results on carbendazim, diuron, terbutryn and OIT from different coatings in laboratory and field experiments. Emissions were higher in EN 16105 laboratory tests than from vertically installed test specimens exposed to weathering, and slower for microencapsulated biocides. Competing processes that cause losses of active substances can occur in both tests, but to a higher degree in field experiments. Emission curves related to runoff water were similar in repeated field experiments. Relative humidity, temperature and global radiation were identified as meteorological factors that affect leaching by complex interaction besides the amount of driving rain.
Background: Biocidal products can be sources of active substances in surface waters caused by weathering of treated articles. Marketing and use of biocidal products can be limited according to the European Biocidal Products Regulation if unacceptable risks to the environment are expected. Leaching of active substances from treated articles was observed in field experiments to obtain information on leaching processes and investigate the suitability of a proposed test method.
Results: Leaching under weathering conditions proceeds discontinuously and tends to decrease with duration of exposure. It mainly depends on the availability of water, but is also controlled by transport processes within the materials and stability of the observed substances. Runoff amount proved to be a suitable basis to compare results from different experiments. Concentrations of substances are higher in runoff collected from vertical surfaces compared to horizontal ones, whereas the leached amounts per surface area are higher from horizontal surfaces. Gaps in mass balances indicate that additional processes such as degradation and evaporation may be relevant to the fate of active substances in treated articles. Leached amounts of substances were considerably higher when the materials were exposed to intermittent water contact under laboratory conditions as compared to weathering of vertically exposed surfaces.
Conclusions: Experiences from the field experiments were used to define parameters of a procedure that is now provided to fulfil requirements of the Biocidal Products Regulation. The experiments confirmed that the amount of water which is in contact with exposed surfaces is the crucial parameter determining leaching of substances.