Transformative Technologies - Federal Initiative I
W-2768
Location
Vancouver, British Columbia
Language
English
Abstract
New carbon-based preservatives have been developed for above ground applications as potential replacements for the current generation of copper-based preservatives for certain applications. It is important to study the organisms that can colonize wood in the presence of these preservatives, particularly those that may be able to degrade them. FPInnovations has decking material treated with carbon-based preservatives currently in test under contract to a range of clients and the opportunity was taken to sample and identify some of the organisms colonizing some of this material. Identification was done utilizing molecular methods, specifically PCR and DNA sequencing and a profile of early colonizers was developed. Preliminary results have picked up species that may be capable of degrading the preservatives, several soft rot species plus two white rot species, and several parasitic basidiomycetes that may indicate that decay is already underway.