Evaluation of contamination of wooden residue sources by human activities

Abstract

This research work it is a case study that aimed to survey the main contaminants of urban wooden waste. The wood wastes were analyzed according to Brazilian standards and assays from literature. The woodchips were rated as Class II B – inert, according to the health and environmental recommendations of the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT). The contamination with nails, screws, hinges and plastics was less than 1% of the dry mass of the waste. The contamination rate per mineral ranges from 10.7% for medium-density fiberboard (MDF) waste, to 25% for particleboard. Among the batch of analyzed wastes there was no trace of wood treated with CCA or CCB. Hence, some new quantitative indicators were obtained for contamination of wood wastes coming from urban areas, assisting in the choice of their use or in the final destination.