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The
Lafantaisie Family's Story
How a New CCA Deck Project Ruined One Family's Health, Finances and Home |
November 30 , 2003
By Joseph Prager
Several months ago, it came to our attention that Michele Lafantaisie and her family, including their 7 year old daughter, were poisoned with doses of arsenic and chromium from green sap oozing from their newly-installed CCA wood deck. The deck had been installed by a contractor as a new addition to their home in Ottawa this past summer.
What had started out as a great little home building project, quickly turned into a nightmare. Right after installation, their new deck made from arsenic treated jack spruce began oozing green CCA sap. Puddles of green water would form on the surface of the deck whenever it rained. Unknown to the Lafantaisies, this green sap and these green puddles contained very high levels of toxic arsenic- a deadly poison.
Like any family would, they started to use their new deck, spending long summer days on it, sometimes in their bare feet. As a result, sap and green liquid were tracked into their home, both by the Lafantaisie family and their family dog.
The family soon became very ill, beginning one month after the deck was completed. Sadly, the family dog died only 35 days later, likely from toxic exposure, according to the family's veterinarian. Next, the sudden onset of family-wide illnesses left them wondering what could be wrong. They did not have to wait long to find out.The laboratory tests results showed that both Michele and her daughter had abnormally high arsenic and chromium levels in their urine. As a result of their exposure, the Lafantaisie's young daughter is suffering from seizures, rash, edema, numbness in her hands and feet and other problems. Michele has experienced serious health problems ever since last August, including severe flu-like conditions, rash, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, body aches, fatigue, kidney problems, confusion, and neuropathy.
Due to the unusual nature of this particular deck, scientists from the wood industry, government agencies, and the Canadian Sierra Club, have taken samples of the residue and wood from their deck, and from the surrounding soil. Their deck has literally become a case study in toxicology and is believed by some to have the highest arsenic value ever tested on any residential CCA wood structure - 2300 µg/g [2300 ppm], which was recorded in the resin oozing from their deck. Ironically, this may be the most infamous wood deck in history.
In July 2003, their shocking story became mainstream news in Canada, as the Sierra Club and the Lafantaisie family gave press conferences, and radio and TV interviews.
For several months, Michele and her family did not receive any assistance from the Canadian government agencies charged with the task of protecting the public and the environment. After several months of intense efforts on their part to get help, their deck was finally removed by the government. During the removal process, the carpenter who handled their CCA wood also became ill from his own exposure.
You can read more about this below in Michele's own account in a letter sent to the EPA's FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel on November 30, 2003.This story is a real eye-opener for both Canadians and Americans. It shows us what the worst case scenario can be for a typical family who knew nothing of the potential health hazards of CCA pressure treated wood, who purchased a new deck installed, and then learned first hand how deadly exposure to CCA can be, and how difficult it can be to put the pieces back together.
Michele Lafantaisie's Letter to the EPA
Editor’s Note: The majority of this account was taken directly from a letter Mrs.Lafantaisie of Ottawa wrote to the EPA FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) on November 30, 2003 for their open public comment period. We have attempted to leave the wording of this letter in its original format as much as possible, with only minimal editing, but some names and email addresses have been removed for privacy reasons.
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To: opp-docket@epa.gov
Subject: written comments for CCA Wood Probabilistic Risk Assessment, Docket # 2003-0316
Importance: High
Dear Dr. Herringa:
My name is Michele Lafantaisie from Ottawa, Canada, and I am a mother writing to share with you the details of the health problems inflicted on our family from exposure to a CCA treated wood deck that was installed onour home last summer. For most people, a CCA deck would not cause their entire family to become deathly ill, but this was the case for our family,due to problems with the batch of CCA wood that was used to construct our deck.Both myself and my daughter, age six at the time, became seriously ill, and have had continuing health problems ever since. I would like to detail these problems for you and the FIFRA SAP panel members, in the hopes that this information will be helpful to your decision making process, so that you can know more about the real world problems that consumers can face when exposed to CCA wood.
First, let me state that my daughter and I did not built the deck - it was installed by a local contractor, but we both became very ill soon after it was completed, as did our German Shepard. In fact, our vet suspected that the dog had been exposed to something toxic, and our dog had to be "put down" after a mere 35 days of exposure to our new deck. This gives yousome idea of the toxicity of the wood in our deck. One environmental health writer stated that our deck had the "highest Arsenic value evertested on any residential CCA structure = 2300 [ppm]".First, though, let me describe the problems we experienced from our exposure. My daughter and I had numerous health problems, all of which started AFTERthe deck was installed. My daughter had an unexplained rash, edema, seizures, peripheral neuropathy (which continues even today), and more. Because of pre-existing bladder, and kidney problems, we will forever worry about her risk of bladder cancer. My child's urine, blood, hair, and nails have all been tested and showed high levels of arsenic and chromium. A
segmented hair analysis, ordered by the toxicologist, was used to determine when her exposure took place, and it was shown to be during the summer to early fall 2002. My results were the same. We both also have respiratory symptoms that have not yet cleared, chronic fatigue and leg pain.
In addition to my daughter's health problems, I also became very ill. I was seen many times in the hospital that summer. My symptoms included vomiting blood, gastrointestinal problems, edema, headache, confusion, and numbness in my hands and feet. I still have headaches, short term memory loss, peripheral neuropathy and renal problems. My test results showed an inorganic arsenic level ( 24 hour urine) of 291 Micrograms per litre. My Chromium levels were also well above that of other unexposed members of
the population, and these levels went right down after we stopped using the deck, as did my child's Cr levels drop,soon after exposure to the deck wood ceased. Interesting to note, on the test results it reads " the current methodology is for the toxic forms of inorganic arsenic and excludes "dietary sources".
We live in Ottawa, a large capital city with no detectable arsenic in our water supply and/or industry nearby.
The Chief Medical Officer of Health sent someone from his staff to investigate our deck, and he took wood from our deck to be tested. They determined that it contained more arsenic then treated wood standards allow for CCA type C (which we have been told by the PMRA that this wood is), and they noted that the wood in our deck was very resinous and wet. The Ministry of Environment sent the city back results that confirm the deck wood was "over-treated". I have a copy of this report, and for whatever
reason, it was not shared with the PMRA.It is sad to say that no one in our Canadian government has been very helpful. Environment Canada told us "CCA wood was never meant for decking purposes". The Sierra Club, however, did a scientific study of the wood in our deck, taking numerous wipe samples and other samples, and they concluded that the resin was "leaking", not leaching, out of this wood and that it contained too much arsenic and chromium- much more than regular CCA treated wood. Not that any amount of arsenic in such a product would, or should, be considered safe in my opinion. However, the wood used in our deck literally oozed greenish sap with high levels of arsenic and chromium. Green puddles of the CCA residue would build up on the surface of the deck when it rained and these chemicals were then tracked into our house, contaminating the inside of
our home.
After much effort to get the government, the wood treatment company, Home Depot, or our local officials to help, we finally received some assistance in getting the deck and soil removed in the past few weeks. Interestingly, the contractor that built the deck became ill with flu-like symptoms while building it, and as of late February 2003 had liver problems. M. S. [a carpenter] who removed the deck a few weeks ago noted it "smelt horrible and was rotting". He took precautions and still he also suffered headaches while removing the wood. My husband passed out and had headaches when he was exposed to it early on, and still has ongoing health problems, that he did not have prior to this CCA treated wood deck being built in our yard. Literally, everyone who has come into contact with the wood in our deck has become ill from their exposure. My family has been diagnosed with arsenic and chromium poisoning, by several specialists - we do not know the long term effects that the chemicals will have on our health, and we are still suffering now. Cancer is an endpoint of concern for us!!!
But, more important that just a statistical cancer risk value is the real risk and suffering to human and animal health, before the onset of cancer. Worse, no one knows how to treat patients with arsenic poisoning from CCA wood. Most say "it's too late for chelation", yet on challenge tests our levels of inorganic arsenic still remains well outside of normal values.Dr. Heeringa, I am outraged that a product like this can still be on the market. Many people became ill while looking at our deck, suffering headaches and dizziness, including a CBC camera crew member and engineer, among others. As my daughter and the dog played outside last summer on the deck (we don't have a back yard), we had no idea that they were being poisoned by the wood.
My child lost her beloved pet and she still morns her loss, and the loss of feeling in her fingers and hands at a time when writing and school is so important. Prior to the installation of this deck, she was a gifted
student, but now she has problems holding a pencil. She is only seven years old. She has just had hand surgery and we are awaiting the biopsy for the sores she had removed from her palms that never healed. She did not play under the deck or eat or lick it. Instead, this deck oozed its chemicals on us, while we walked on the deck, gardened in planters , and enjoyed normal outdoor activities. In the rain, the chemicals in the wood came to the surface and would form large green puddles of toxic chemicals. (We have pictures of this treated wood deck if anyone is interested - they are almost too incredible to believe.) I am not exaggerating when I tell you that green liquid and sap were oozing out of the wood constantly, until it was removed from our home by an agency of the Canadian government.
I am also angry that we did not know that the wood was toxic at the time we bought it. No warning sheet was on the wood, and there were none in the store. I did not even know CCA was a pesticide. Later, we found small red stickers folded in half at the top of a post. We were actually told at one point that the green sap was dye. Later on, the contractor who installed the deck informed us he had no idea that this
wood contained arsenic and he had not been told or given any warning about it when he purchased it.
As I began to share the story of what happened to my family, I was appalled at the number of people who told me they also had health effects from building or sanding CCA treated wood, and of children that became ill, soon after a new treated wood play set was installed. AND still there are many people who burn the scraps of CCA treated wood in their homes here in Canada, with no laws in effect in this country to stop it. I know a mother and her two toddlers who live beside such a person, who regularly burns
CCA wood for home heating fuel. Both her children have severe asthma and other problems, as do the parents, that worsen when the fires are started, yet no one has heard her many calls for help.
After years of studies, no one still understands the synergistic effects on human health of all the chemicals in CCA treated wood. As we learn more about arsenic and its effects on the environment and our health, surely it is time to remove CCA treated wood to lined land fills where it belongs, keeping it as far away as possible from our most precious resource - our children.
Thank you for allowing me to share my story with your panel. I will be happy to provide any additional test data or medical information you need if requested.
Sincerely yours,
