Macro biological degradation of wood treated with sorbitol and citric acid – first results from marine environment and termite exposure

Abstract

Most European wood species are rapidly and severely degraded in termite-infested areas and the marine environment. There is a need for new solutions, especially in the marine environment, since we lack wood preservatives approved for marine applications in Europe. Several wood modification systems show high resistance against both marine borers and subterranean termites. However, the existing commercialised methods of wood modification are costly. Therefore, a new, low cost and non-toxic wood modification system from inexpensive and readily-available feedstock chemicals have been used in this study. The treatment of wood with a combination of sorbitol and citric acid (PS-modification) showed good resistance against wood borers in the marine environment after one season and against subterranean termites in the laboratory after eight weeks. Future results from the ongoing field tests in the marine environment will reveal the long-term performance of PS-treated wood. The low termite survival rate in the non-choice test already in the first week of testing indicate a mode of action which is not comparable with other wood modification treatments.