Exposure to CCA-treated wood amongst food caterers and residents in informal areas of Cape Town

Abstract

We investigated the absorption of chromium, copper and arsenic released from treated wood used by street food caterers and household residents in an informal urban area and a peri-urban area in Cape Town, South Africa. Participants (n=78) selected included an equal number of caterers and residents in each area. All participants answered an exposure questionnaire and were tested for urinary chromium, copper and arsenic, while the urine of 29 participants was also tested for toxic arsenic. Urinary chromium and arsenic exceeded the environmental exposure limit in 12% and 30% of participants, respectively. Toxic arsenic was detected in 30% of samples of which 24% exceeded the environmental exposure limit of 6.4 µg/g creatinine. Urinary chromium, copper, arsenic and toxic arsenic levels were not significantly different between participants from the two areas or between caterers and household residents, controlling for confounding effects. The study provides evidence of chromium and arsenic exposure amongst both informal caterers and household residents, which requires further investigation.

Environmental and biological monitoring in the workplace: A 10-year South African retrospective analysis

“…In a similar manner, manganism came to the fore in 2007 when several cases of suspected chronic exposure to manganese had been detected at a ferromanganese smelter 26 . A similar pattern was observed for exposure to arsenic and several other heavy metals [27][28][29] .…”

Recovery of antifungal compounds from wood and coffee industry side-streams and residues for wood preservative formulations

“…Later, it was noted that arsenic can leach out from wood, causing substantial contamination of the ground water (Shibata et al 2007) -for this reason, CCA was banned in 2003 in both the USA (EPA 2003) and Europe (Commission Directive 2003/2/EC). This wood preservative remains in active use in other regions such as South Africa (Naidoo et al 2013).…”

Arsenic residues in soil at cattle dip tanks in the Vhembe district, Limpopo Province, South Africa

“…23 Present-day research on arsenic contamination in South Africa includes the search for arsenic-resistant bacterial genes in mining ash and the pollution levels in treated wood. [24][25][26][27] However, research in the field of arsenic contamination of soil at dip tanks -the focus of our study -has been limited. However, one study, conducted by Moremedi and Okonkwo 28 at Ka-Xikundu village close to the Luvuvhu River, also in the Vhembe district, reported high arsenic levels (above >1000 mg/kg) close to a dip site at the surface, and at 50-mm and 100-mm depths, and a significantly lower concentration of about 0.15 mg/ kg at a control site some distance away.…”