Iron Head
ArboristSite Operative
What are all the good things and bad things from creosote?
All About Creosote
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stihly dan
Addicted to ArboristSite
Unless you want to preserve wood.
nathon918
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not worth it...all bad...Creosote = DEATH
the town i live in had 3 creosote plants, 2 are now superfund sites one of which a housing project was built on and the 3rd. Kerr- Mcgee is abandoned but still there. statistics say 60% of employees or family members were affected by mainly cancer, those that lived in housing projects were adversely affected as well. I carry a operations level cert. in haz-mat through fire dept. this is not something to just scoff at. look up on the web superfund sites in texarkana. all these are within 5 miles of my home.
blackdogon57
Addicted to ArboristSite
" DISLIKE"
This thread has nothing to do with firewood. Another attempt to derail any kind of meaningful dialogue on this site.
I wouldn't jump to that conclusion so fast. I posted not knowing what the initial reason was for the question. Perhaps it came about as a sidenote, maybe after creosote was mentioned during a discussion of firewood and the term was brought into question in the OPs mind. From reading the wiki article, it seems there are some good products made from wood creosote, no good ones from the coal creosote.
Also, if you don't find the topic informative, don't read it and don't partake in the discussion. In other words, change the channel
Also, if you don't find the topic informative, don't read it and don't partake in the discussion. In other words, change the channel
See all this talk about bringing back the "dislike" button lately and this is what you get... 
I spent a little time lookin' it up... neither site was a "creosote" plant, they were wood treatment facilities. Yeah, they treated timber with creosote... they also treated timber with pentachlorophenol.
This is from the EPA web site...
"Pentachlorophenol was once one of the most widely used biocides in the United States, but it is now a restricted use pesticide and is no longer available to the general public. It was primarily used as a wood preservative. Pentachlorophenol is extremely toxic to humans from acute (short-term) ingestion and inhalation exposure. Acute inhalation exposures in humans have resulted in neurological, blood, and liver effects, and eye irritation. Chronic (long-term) exposure to pentachlorophenol by inhalation in humans has resulted in effects on the respiratory tract, blood, kidney, liver, immune system, eyes, nose, and skin. Human studies are inconclusive regarding pentachlorophenol exposure and reproductive effects. Human studies suggest an association between exposure to pentachlorophenol and cancer. Oral animal studies have reported increases in liver tumors and two uncommon tumor types. EPA has classified pentachlorophenol as a Group B2, probable human carcinogen."
Waste water from the treatment process was pumped into holding ponds, hence the soil contamination... no wells or drinking water have been effected‼ The soil contamination runs about 1 foot deep, and some shallow ground water shows indications of contamination.
Yep... a housing project was build on part of one site. The EPA forced a buy-out... they forced people to sell and move even though none had gotten sick (at least I can't find where any sickness was attributed to the soil contamination). Of course, those people got pizzed-off and tried a class action suit... it was dismissed. So yeah... they were affected... by the EPA‼
I can't find any statistics on the cancer rate of employees and family members... perhaps you could point me to them??
But considering all the different wood treatment process, using all those different chemicals, how can you even suggest it was the creosote alone that made them sick.
Friggin' ridiculous‼
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Iron Head
ArboristSite Operative
Sorry I should've been a little more specific. Since this is a fire wood heating and burning, I figured it was trivial the creosote be from chimney.
One of my curiosity about stove creosote is that I found it not very easy to burn.
When I sweep my chimney, I just leave it in my stove then load wood above it and burn away.
From all the fear of chimney fire I figured creosote would instantaneously ignite.
What I found is that creosote from my flue pipe doesn't burn very well.
There would be creosote remained in my stove fire box after two good load of wood.
So I'm just curious why all the fear of creosote and chimney fire when the stuff doesn't burn that well.
wood4heat
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Wood creosote does burn let me assure you! It also expands as it burns and can close off your chimney. When this happens it continues to burn. With the chimney closed off where do you think all that heat is gonna go?
Maybe what you're brushin' from the chimney ain't creosote... it could be mostly (closely related) soot. Soot is inevitable when you burn wood... it's sometimes called lampblack, and a major ingredient in shoe polish. Soot (basically carbon) will burn, but requires comparatively high temperatures and a a good oxygen supply. The "secondary combustion" in your stove is the burning of (mostly) soot... visible wood smoke is mostly soot.
Chimney (wood-tar) creosote is more complex than soot alone. Creosote will burn at lower temperatures and don't require as much oxygen.
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Chimney (wood-tar) creosote is more complex than soot alone. Creosote will burn at lower temperatures and don't require as much oxygen.
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Iron Head
ArboristSite Operative
Not soot. Soot is powder. Creosote is shinny black, dense, chunky, and flakey charcoal. I always imagined this stuff would ignite and burn up fast but it doesn't. Actually takes two full loads of wood to burn it off. But what remained buried in the ash does not ignite. I always wondered about this.
the GOAT
Chainsaw truther
If you know you are going to get cancer from living there why not move?look up on the web superfund sites in texarkana. all these are within 5 miles of my home.
It is?? Always?? Huh... I'll be darned??
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Iron Head
ArboristSite Operative
I'm just trying to describe to you what I have. Because I do have a combination. I don't think they can exist alone but more of one than the other from different burning circumstances such as wood type, wood moisture content, climate type, and different stove.
What do you think of the shinny dense black chunky and flakey coal-like substance? Is it soot or creosote?
"Wood" creosote is a thick, gummy, gooey, greasy, tar-like substance. Creosote is the result of combustion gasses condensing... in it's purest form creosote is colorless and transparent. What gives creosote found in chimneys its dark color is mostly soot... the darker it is, the more soot mixed in. When creosote is heated (such as in a chimney) it will run like thick oil and the condensed gasses will vaporize and be carried away, heat it even more and it will eventually ignite. When the condensed gasses are heated to the point of vaporization and carried away... what is left behind is a dark, crusty, (sometimes hard and/or shinny) layer of... well... mostly soot.
Yeah, I know, that stuff is labeled a "creosote" quite often by the wood burning guru; but most of what makes creosote, in fact creosote, is no longer present... it's much closer to soot. Soot can also cause a chimney fire if there's enough heat, oxygen and sufficient ignition source... but it won't ignite near as easily as creosote will (ignited creosote makes a good ignition source for soot). That's not to say there is zero remnant oils left behind in that crusty stuff... but that don't make it creosote. Soot is slightly tacky/oily of it's own accord.
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