Wood preservation facilities, alkaline copper quaternary: chapter G-10

10. Environmental and Workplace Monitoring

10.1 Baseline Environmental Evaluation

Ammonia and copper are found naturally in the environment. Amines are derived from ammonia and are not naturally occurring. Quaternary ammonium compounds (Quats) are synthetically produced and are not naturally occurring; all Quats found in the environment are therefore assumed to be from human-made sources. Typical background levels of naturally occurring ACQ constituents are listed in Table 24.

Considerable variation occurs in natural concentrations of copper and ammonia in soils and waters (22). Because ammonia concentrations may vary both spatially and temporally, it is important to determine background levels immediately prior to the operation of a facility, to enable meaningful future assessments of pollution control. Older mills may not have this information available. A comparative site from a nearby property can be used as a reference. The facility may use the template provided in Table 24 from Chapter A.

10.2 Environmental Monitoring

Environmental monitoring requirements for an ACQ facility would normally be developed for soil, groundwater and surface water.

ACQ facilities have the potential to contaminate groundwater in the immediate vicinity of the facilities to levels that could potentially pose a risk to aquatic organisms. Stormwater runoff may contain at least one of the elements copper, DDAC, ADBAC or Boron at levels in excess of existing water quality limits. Additional monitoring studies (such as surface water discharges, groundwater and contaminated soil) are recommended to properly assess the degree of such releases.

10.3 Workplace Exposure Monitoring

Workplace monitoring generally falls under provincial jurisdiction. Worker health programs should be developed with provincial and/or local regulatory agencies in consultation with a provincial workers’ compensation board and/or department of labour and/or industrial physician/industrial hygienist.

The appropriate components of a site and worker exposure monitoring program are contained in Section 10.2 of Part I, Chapter A - General Recommendations for All Wood Preservatives: Table 25 - Recommended Routine Environmental Monitoring and Table 26 - Recommended Routine Workplace Monitoring.