No Arsenic found at Geelhoutvlei Timbers
During the George veldt
fires end of last year, Geelhoutvlei Timbers situated in Karatara, was almost completely destroyed. This
tragic incident raised fears that Arsenic-treated
wood stored on the premises could contaminate the water sources in the
immediate surroundings.
Geelhoutvlei Timbers reacted pro-actively and contained the Chromated Copper
Arsenate used at their treatment plant. Surrounding residents still feared that
the locations where the treated timber were stored could downwash into the
nearby water sources. In order to determine if this fears are justified, the Garden Route District Municipality Air Quality Unit took
representative samples for independent laboratory analysis on 17 January 2019.
Outcomes of tests done were made available to GRDM on 14 February 2019.
It was confirmed that both water and soil arsenic samples took at various sampling points comply with the Total Concentration (TC) threshold for arsenic expressed as mg/kg or mg/l.
WATER SAMPLES:
Four samples were taken, of which the results are as follow:
· Sample 1 – Karatara cement bridge – <0.001mg/l
· Sample 2 – 1st dam on Geelhoutvlei Timbers premises – <0.001mg/l
· Sample 3 – De Wit dam – <0.001mg/l
· Sample 4 – Hoogekraal bridge – <0.001mg/l
RESULT: Detection limits are 0.001mg/l and which is an indication that Arsenic was not detected in the water.
SOIL SAMPLES
Three soil samples were taken at all the points where treated wood were stored on the Geelhoutvlei Timbers premises:
· Sample 5 – Treated Timber area: 8.64mg/kg
· Sample 6 – Pole Yard-East- <0.20mg/kg
· Sample 7 – Front pole yard- 3mg/kg
RESULT: The Total Concentration (TC) threshold for Arsenic is 500mg/kg.
Chemtech laboratory used the Draft Standard for assessment of waste for landfill disposal as reference for thresholds.
Google images of the sampling points
The Garden Route DM Air Quality Unit is in the process to ensure that the contained arsenic on the premises is disposed of at an approved hazardous waste landfill site (if not done already).
For more information with regard to the above matter, contact:
Dr Johann Schoeman
Manager: District Air Quality Control
jschoeman@gardenroute.gov.za
Tel: +27 (0)44 693 0006 | +27 (0)84 317 9167