I have a friend who burns scrap wood on a wood-burning-stove. This includes old wood with paint on it. I am sure this is dangerous because of the possible lead content. Can anyone point me at regulations about what can and cannot be burned? I can find references, by stove manufacturers, but would like 'chapter and verse' if possible.
Better than landfill, or do you spend a lot of time atop the chimney?
Not saying it's a good idea, but I can't see why it would be dangerous to him per se, as the fumes go up the chimney, along with all the dangerous carbon monoxide etc. I would liken what he's doing to burning the stuff out in the garden.
As it happens, there was a piece on the R2 Jeremy Vine show the other day about the legalities of burning domestic rubbish at home (on the increase because people can't be arsed with recycling or haven't got enough space in their bins etc) and IIRC the message was that unless you live in a smokeless zone, there's no specific law about what you can and can't burn - you just mustn't create a nuisance to your neighbours. So if a neighbour complains to Environmental Health about lead poisoning from his smoke, then he might be in trouble...
David
Lead is likely to be there if the timber's oldest paint is before the '60s (or if they get their paint from a shipyard!). If the timber is more recent, and most of it will be, then there's no problem.
OTOH, I wouldn't burn pressure-treated Tanalised timber, because of the arsenic. _Far_ worse than lead. There's a US case where a couple died after a bonfire of it and the local police were into a murder investigation of poisoning before anyone realised what had happened.
Not to mention the chromium! Though I believe it's the arsenic compounds that are more volatile.
Best place would be landfill except most of the original treatments were done so shoddily that the vast bulk of the treated piece will still be putrescible.
AJH
Since you seem to know about these things, I see from stove manufacturers sites that plywood and MDF are no-nos too, but they don't say why.
Formaldehyde resins in the glue I think.
As far as burning preservative treated wood goes - CCA treated (exterior) stuff sounds a bad idea, as they're cumulative poisons.
Formaldehyde, and past extensive lawsuits in the US over formaldehyde outgassing. Don't forget chipboard too.
OTOH, formaldehyde is no problem in a well-running enclosed stove (although MDF and chipboard don't burn well). It's the metals that get you, not the organics, as they survive combustion.
A few years ago went on holiday to the med.
The so-called "Beach Barbeque" turned out to be an old guy selling sardines he'd just barbequed over a wood fire made of planks from old painted fishing boats.
Yeuch.
DG
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.