stripping cedar deck. Arsenic?

[mugrean]

Previous owner painted the cedar deck in our backyard. We're stripping it (with deck stripping chemicals... sodium hydroxide), and also sanding it in a few places. Looking around for information, I came across the topic of CCA (arsenic) used on pressure treated wood, and am somewhat concerned about the health risks associated with arsenic.

So here's my question: what sort of woods was (is) CCA used on? If the deck is made of cedar, can we relax and not worry about CCA?

The deck was built in 1990.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Relax. CCA is used on southern yellow pine to make it "pressure treated" against rot. . Cedar has natural preservatives.

[dean]

I think (butI many be wrong) that CCA has copper in it and appears greenish. Is yours like that?

But Edwin is right, cedar is well known for being non-treated and still resistant to rotting.

[greg6755]

In all likelihood your deck has cedar nailed to a treated lumber structure.

Even with that there is really nothing to worry about.

According to our building department a child would have to eat a serious amount of lumber to get a dangerous amount of arsenic.

It is my understanding the arsenic is no longer used in treated lumber more because of fears that it will leach into the soil over time and have some negative on the environment than as a health risk for children.

[Chris Lewis]

CCA == Chromated Copper Arsenate (or Copper Chromated Arsenate". Contains copper, chromic acid and arsenic. Usually greenish.

In other words, the industry never got into the habit of treating cedar, because cedar doesn't need it. Treating is for woods that aren't naturally rot resistant. Not just southern yellow pine. Here standard SPF (Spruce, Pine or Fir) grade lumber is treated.