You will be fine using pressure treated wood to grow vegetables in as long as the plants don't touch the wood. A gardener I know does the same thing but covers the wood with plasic to protect the plants against the chemicals that the wood may have in it. Hope that helps - Simon Newman ------------------ Container Gardening Blog http://www.Container-Garden.info Here is a link that might be useful: My Container Gardening Blog

It's advised to not use PT wood because there are safer alternatives. That said, the stuff isn't a deal breaker for your garden. Once built the biggest real danger is putting your hands all over the stuff while harvesting...contact stuff. There isn't much to leach into the fruits even in the most toxic of PT lumbers. Plants generally don't pass on much soil toxins because they have no use for their uptake and very little makes it to the actual fruits. Like the above poster said...if you bought your PT lumber recently there's an even larger chance that it's the safer stuff. A lot of the issues with old PT lumber involved people putting their hands all over the stuff or laying produce on it to rest. Even then, a good washing takes care of most all of that. It's the arsenic in the wood that was a huge issue with the last generation PT wood and how you could accumulate arsenic levels on skins just by rubbing your hands across it. A lot of the "panic" came from how much PT lumber is used in kid's playground equipment.

Nathanhurst: Would you like to share your data? I have the same data as you or Stuart or most anyone else these days. It is the information on the web that I researched and reviewed that lead me to my decision to use ACQ lumber. My job involves understanding the degree of risk posed by constituents like metals and pesticides in the environment. When I was looking into ACQ I needed to look beyond the leaching studies that just focus on the copper concentration of ACQ leachate, i.e.: ".but it(ACQ) does have triple the amount of coppera substantial increase." I can agree with that quote to a point. But just because it leaches doesnt mean it is bio available. In the current dialogue, your premise for copper being a concern appears to stem from the mere fact that copper is present in ACQ leachate, period. What appears to be missing is an understanding of coppers fate and transport in the soil from its source (ACQ leachate) through the soil column to a receptor (a vegetable plant root system), the resulting exposure concentration (copper in a tomato) and the frequency at which tomatoes are consumed by the ultimate receptor (us). Soil organic matter, silt and clay particles, cation capacity all serve to attenuate, minimize or limit the migration of copper in the environment. For me, the data supported no adverse risk My statement was used out of context in your response since it did not include "under my garden use and consumption scenario". The latter text is where fate and transport and receptor exposure concentration come into play to describe the actual risk posed by copper. I can find articles calling ACQ into question without even trying (the first hit on google with ACQ): "Though this preservative mix has proven to be the most effective so far, ACQ poses its own concerns. soil and sediment. ACQ doesnt have the arsenic or chromium issues of CCA, but it does have triple the amount of coppera substantial increase." -- http://www.nadra.org/industry_news/acqarticle.html (and that from a body trying to promote ACQ use!) For someone who takes that statement at face value, they would believe it to be a case against ACQ unless they looked deeper into the source. NADRA is the North American Deck and Railing Association whose mission as stated on their website is to "promote outdoor living at its best, in safe and creative environments for the enjoyment of every homeowner". They are not promoting ACQ use anymore than they are promoting redwood or composite decking. The article mentioned is at best a third or fourth order source for ACQ info since its author, a fastener manufacturer, was discussing the compatibility of decking screws with ACQ chemistry. NADRA was however providing it members and web surfers a service by mentioning the ACQ copper study so the user could make their own informed decision. Saying that quaternary ammonium salts are the same as ammonia demonstrates a lack of chemistry knowledge and makes me doubt the rest of what you are saying. True, I am not a chemist but I did pick up a few things from my organic chem, inorganic chem, biochem and geochem courses. However, I was not specific enough. I referenced quaternary ammonium compounds in general when I was specifically thinking of DDAC, the quaternary ammonium compound used in ACQ. DDAC is an anti-microbial compound also found in household disinfectants, laundry detergents, fabric softener dryer sheets and swimming pool disinfection to name a few. My point in mentioning it was that DDAC is more common as an active ingredient in products we touch, breath and swim in everyday. As good gardeners we all know that AMMONIA found naturally in high concentrations in raw manures will burn a plant until soil microbes convert it to nitrate, the nutrient plants need. And IF we add too much nitrate-based fertilizer it can leach to groundwater. And IF it reaches a groundwater concentration greater than 10mg/L it can produce methemoglobinemia or "blue baby" syndrome in infants. Organic animal manure. Copper poisoning is not pleasant, I've had it. Having experienced copper poisoning first hand its understandable you would be cautious of any product containing copper. Comparing with copper pipes is like saying that sarin nerve poison is harmless because its got carbon in it. My plumbing analogy was to point out that receptor exposure concentration (trace copper) and duration (a lifetime of daily drinking/bathing) is equally important in determining risk in addition to the mere presence of copper. Few folks would list pure drinking water as an acute toxin, yet last year in California a young college student died tragically in a fraternity hazing incident by drinking too much water (not alcohol) in a short period of time. The water essentially diluted the electrolytes in his blood and he died of a heart attack. Pure drinking water. There is a lot of information on the web. Some confusing, some misleading and some conflicting especially when it comes to an emotional topic like human health. I offer my opinion in response to a question by dgriff as to what to make of ACQ. This was my personal decision, based on my review of the literature and my professional experience. Were I a Wall Street type, I would offer my personal perspective on a financial web forum to a non-financial type who wanted to sort out conflicting info about different investment products. Ultimately, its up to the individual to glean what they can from the various experiences expressed here and make an informed decision they are comfortable with.

Once you rule out lead, you'll be okay except for cadmium, toxic copper levels, etc., that have leached from the treated wood. It gets into the soil when it's dissolved by rain. As far as I know, only beets and close cousins (spinach, chard) can actually take up these compounds, but I would err on the side of caution. Is there a possibility of using that site for ornamentals and grow edibles elsewhere? A bodacious bed of flowers would bring in lots of beneficial insects, and plenty of organic matter will draw in earthworms, which can take up some chemical residues. On the plus side, the fact that much of the wood has gone crumbly means that the material has been colonized extensively by fungi, which are hugely effective when it comes to breaking down contaminants. Mycoremediation works. Here is a link that might be useful: my website