Timbers perishable

The heartwood of various timber species shows a wide range of resistance to biological attack. The natural durability of heartwood) is assessed by ground contact tests and according to survival, classified into five ctegories - very durable (>25 years), durable (15-25 years) moderately durable (10-15 years) non-durable (5-10 years) and perishable, (<5 years). 

The news media reinforcement is subtle in misconceptions on risk of chemical plants. They provide selected news coverage. No doubt there are many poor unfortunates in southwestern Louisiana who die harvesting shrimp, oysters, blue crabs, pogy fish, and edible fish. Their demise is not a top story. No news reporter takes a photo of the water or the boat that steals the hard worker s life. Or in the case of the timber cutter who perished, no one takes a photo of the tree that struck the deceased or a photo of the chain saw that was involved in the tragic accident. These incidents usually appear in the back of the paper, or only the worker s name, age, next of kin, and personal information get published on the obituary page. 

Solomos, T. In Controlled Atmospheres for Storage and Transport of Perishable Agricultural Commodities Richardson, D. G. Meheriuk, M., Eds. Timber Press Beaverton, OR, 1982 p 161. 

The bulk of analytical work performed in the wood sector is associated with wood preservatives. Most temperate timbers are perishable and therefore require treatment with toxic combinations of elements to achieve protection from biodeterioration owing to attack by fungi, insects, termites and, in marine situations, wood boring crustaceans and molluscs. 

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