I’ll keep my eyes and ears open on info. that would be useful to this topic of pallet re-use.

Any idea of there is an easy way to test wood for toxins?

My plan has been to test it once it was finished by leveraging some expertise from a local university. But I’d love to be able to test individual pallets, but have not found anything. I’ve asked around a bit and it seems testing for chemicals is a very complex and expensive task.

Aside from fumigants, there are the preservatives, etc. that become bound to the wood itself. I found this informative article [http://www.finegardening.com/design/articles/pressure-treated-wood-in-beds.aspx] on pressure-treated wood that discusses chromated copper arsenate (CCA), a common chemical used in the pressure-treating of wood. Though the article’s focus is on using such wood for gardening purposes, the health and safety precautions presented in the section titled “If you use CCA lumber…” that are applicable to using similarly treated pallet wood. My whole purpose for bringing this up is my concern for the health and safety of those creative and resourceful individuals who are using otherwise discarded materials for the betterment of people and the planet.

Regarding testing the indoor air quality of your tiny free house:

I would recommend utilizing a photoionization device (PID) and “sniff” the air for VOCs after the house has been sealed shut (i.e., all windows, doors, and other openings completely closed) for 48 hours in warm weather. If you intend to use combustion appliances (e.g., propane or natural-gas heater or cooking burner), then testing for CO and CO2 using a direct-read instrument under the same conditions would be prudent. Test floor-level, seated breathing-level, standing breathing-level, and sleeping loft heights with both instruments.

As an alternative, direct-read colorimetric tubes (e.g., Drager, RAE) can be utilized for a general screening of the constituents. There are tubes for specific VOCs, but not VOCs in general. I consider the tubes an “analog” and static method of detection, whereas the instruments are digital and dynamic. But, tubes are less expensive than equipment rental and shipping/insurance, and may be more appropriate for screening a smaller space.

If you wish, I would be glad to discuss this further with you on this post or via email.

Best wishes!

The good news about fumigants is that the tend to be very volatile and dissipate quickly leaving little residue. When my tiny free house is complete I’ll have the interior air quality tested and I’m certain it will test cleaner than a new home. But just to be sure I’m not fooling myself I will test it. :-)

A word of caution on pallets: sometimes they are treated with preservatives, pesticides, and/or fungicides (e.g., chromated copper arsenate (CCA), creosote, copper-8-quinolinate, chlorpyrifos, and oxine-copper) [http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/hot_issues/alb/swpm/swpmsum.html]. For more information on the listed chemicals, go to the EPA website at http://www.epa.gov and use the search feature at the top.