Baby Safety / Compounds / Copper chromium arsenate (CCA) treated wood preservative

Is Copper chromium arsenate (CCA) treated wood preservative safe for babies and kids?

Very high risk for kids

Infants are extremely vulnerable to Copper chromium arsenate (CCA) treated wood preservative due to immature blood-brain barrier, higher gastrointestinal absorption rates (40-50% vs 3-10% in adults), and rapidly developing neurology. Even trace exposure can cause irreversible neurodevelopmental harm.

What is copper chromium arsenate (cca) treated wood preservative?

The IUPAC name is barium(2+);dioxido(dioxo)chromium.

Also known as: barium(2+);dioxido(dioxo)chromium, BARIUM CHROMATE, Permanent Yellow, Lemon chrome.

IUPAC name
barium(2+);dioxido(dioxo)chromium
CAS number
10294-40-3
Molecular formula
BaCrO4
Molecular weight
253.32 g/mol
SMILES
[Ba++].[O-][Cr]([O-])(=O)=O
PubChem CID
25136

Risk for babies

Very high risk

Infants are extremely vulnerable to Copper chromium arsenate (CCA) treated wood preservative due to immature blood-brain barrier, higher gastrointestinal absorption rates (40-50% vs 3-10% in adults), and rapidly developing neurology. Even trace exposure can cause irreversible neurodevelopmental harm.

Neonates and infants up to 12 months have incomplete blood-brain barrier development, immature Phase I/II metabolic enzymes (particularly CYP3A4, UGT1A1), and higher gastrointestinal permeability. Equivalent doses produce higher internal concentrations and longer residence times.

What to do: Minimize infant exposure through source control. For breastfeeding mothers: reduce maternal exposure. For formula-fed infants: use certified low-migration bottles and verified water sources. Consult pediatrician regarding any concerns.

Risk for pregnant and nursing people

High risk

GHS Danger classification. Classified for reproductive toxicity.

Regulatory consensus

2 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Copper chromium arsenate (CCA) treated wood preservative. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: positive (single report) (Ames: None, 1 positive / 1 negative reports)
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: positive (single report) (Ames: None, 1 positive / 1 negative reports)

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where kids encounter copper chromium arsenate (cca) treated wood preservative

  • Contaminated Water — Mining site runoff, Industrial discharge, Old infrastructure
  • Food Chain — Fish from contaminated waters, Crops in contaminated soil

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Copper chromium arsenate (CCA) treated wood preservative:

  • Process redesign to avoid hazardous intermediates
    Trade-offs: May require significant R&D investment. Not always feasible.
    Relative cost: 2-5×

Frequently asked questions

Is copper chromium arsenate (cca) treated wood preservative safe for kids?

Infants are extremely vulnerable to Copper chromium arsenate (CCA) treated wood preservative due to immature blood-brain barrier, higher gastrointestinal absorption rates (40-50% vs 3-10% in adults), and rapidly developing neurology. Even trace exposure can cause irreversible neurodevelopmental harm.

What products contain copper chromium arsenate (cca) treated wood preservative?

Copper chromium arsenate (CCA) treated wood preservative appears in: Mining site runoff (Contaminated water); Industrial discharge (Contaminated water); Fish from contaminated waters (Food chain); Crops in contaminated soil (Food chain).

What should I do if my child is exposed to copper chromium arsenate (cca) treated wood preservative?

Minimize infant exposure through source control. For breastfeeding mothers: reduce maternal exposure. For formula-fed infants: use certified low-migration bottles and verified water sources. Consult pediatrician regarding any concerns.

See Copper chromium arsenate (CCA) treated wood preservative in the baby app

Look up products containing copper chromium arsenate (cca) treated wood preservative, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (3)
  1. PubChem Compound CID 25136 — database
  2. EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard — DTXSID1051517 — epa
  3. ATSDR Toxicological Profile — CAS 10294-40-3 — reference

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →