The Environmental Impact of Wood Modification

4 The Environmental Impact of Wood Modification 9.4.1 LCA Studies of Wood Modification Processes 

There is little published literature in the public domain regarding LCAs of wood modification processes. All wood modification processes (as with all industrial processes) will undeniably have an environmental impact associated with them. Apart from the environmental impacts associated with forestry operations, common to all wood products, additional impacts associated with wood modification are as follows  

Of these, the latter would be comparable with, or lower than, those associated with untreated timber. Furthermore, modified wood would be expected to have lower maintenance requirements than conventional timber products. Impacts associated with the production, use and disposal of wood preservatives are obviously no longer present. 

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