DDT was a really good pesticide too......
Just saying......
I recall as a kid, they would fog the entire neighborhood with that for mosquito control. 'Twas great fun to run and ride our bikes through it. Kinda like flying through clouds, we imagined.
Creosote has been and still is used as a medicine. Too, much of anything is "bad" for you, even the things that are essential to live daily.
I can't find any direct links of creosote to ailments. But, it does smell bad. Which I think has more to do with it's consumer ban than what is actually proven in direct ill effects.
But, if it kills bugs, fungi, and bacteria, how could it NOT hurt a biological being, provided mass amounts of exposure are involved, or assumed.
In my reading, they "tested" creosote on lab rats. The method was to shave the skin and continually apply creosote to the shaved area for several weeks. Sure enough some of the rats developed skin lesions, some benign and some cancerous.
They therefore concluded that creosote was "probably" cancerous to humans and restricted its availability to the public. (Businesses can still use creosote).
What I found interesting, is that Ethanol reacts much the same way when lab rats are dosed the same way as the creosote test. Yep, some get cancer. But, the Fed, state, and locals collect far more in taxes on ethanol. So, that is a "good" chemical, fit for public availability, and used in far more than just a drinking alcohol. Duplicity sure seems to have an economic advantage.
In contrast , Wikipedia says this about creosote:
"A 2005 mortality study of creosote workers found no evidence supporting an increased risk of cancer death, as a result of exposure to creosote. Based on the findings of the largest mortality study to date of workers employed in creosote wood treating plants, there is no evidence that employment at creosote wood-treating plants or exposure to creosote-based preservatives was associated with any significant mortality increase from either site-specific cancers or non-malignant diseases. The study consisted of 2,179 employees at eleven plants in the United States where wood was treated with creosote preservatives. Some workers began work in the 1940s to 1950s. The observation period of the study covered 1979- 2001. The average length of employment was 12.5 years. One third of the study subjects were employed for over 15 years."Due to the odor, I wondered if my recent use of creosote may constitute a neighborhood health risk. So, I spent quite some time finding research matter. I'm now satisfied that whatever risk is associated with it, is minimal, if existent at all. I was certainly the most exposed. The vinyl gloves I used the first day leeched the stuff right though them and permeated my hands, not to mention freely breathing the fumes in a semi confined space. No, it wasn't enjoyable, and I tried to avoid it by buying "approved" alternate materials. But, those materials are not in the same class as the creosote I had avoided using for years.
I assert that the EPA can't finish it's job until everything is controlled. So, it's a job security thing which consumers pay twice for the "service".
Anyway the original point of this thread was to warn/educate about building materials, that
were routinely obtained. Beware of retail outlet substitutions, as well as labels and brands where the contents are changed without significant label changes.
