KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Another holiday weekend is here. Chances are you’ll load up the kids, the dog and several coolers of food and drink, then head to your favorite park.
You expect to have a great time outdoors, grilling out or just spending time with the family. But an NBC Action News Investigation exposes a hidden threat in a place where you may least expect it; the table where your kids eat those chips, burgers and hotdogs. We found the poisonous substance in picnic tables at some metro parks.
Testing For Arsenic
Until recently, wood used to build everything outdoors from decks to picnic tables was treated with chromium, copper and arsenic (CCA). It is a lethal combination used to kill bugs like termites and prevent wood rot.
But the use of CCA treatment ended in 2003 when the EPA phased out the chemicals in wood due to health risks.
The treated wood may no longer be sold, but chances are the dangerous chemicals such as arsenic can still be found in wooden structures like decks and tables built before 2003.
The NBC Action News Investigators did not have hard time finding arsenic lingering on picnic tables at several parks.
We first used a thermo-analyzing gun to check picnic tables at five metro parks; Lake Jacomo and Longview Lake in Jackson County, Swope Park and Tower Park in Kansas City, and Johnson County’s Antioch Park.
If the analyzing gun detected arsenic, we then wiped the surface with cleansing wipes.
Next, we placed the wipes in plastic bags, sealed and shipped them to a lab to be tested.
