Testing wood to see if it is pressure treated

[Tom B]

Does anyone know of a quick and inexpensive test to tell if wood has been pressure treated?

I have access to a large pile of timbers that is left over from building and repairing wooden bridges. The timbers are mostly pine and from 6/4 to 6 inches thick in random lengths up to 5 feet. The pile is about 30X30 and 10 feet high.

These timbers would be perfect for re-sawing except that part of the pile has been pressure treated.

The people who work there don’t remember how much pressure treated is in the pile but they do know that some of the timbers were treated.

The wood has aged to a point that I can’t tell if it was treated just by looking at it and I need a quick way to check before I haul it back to my shop.

[Todd Burch]

So, what's the problem? Wear a dust mask / respirator whether it is treated or not. I suspect if you use a pocket knife to cut the weathering off, you could see the green cast pretty fast if it exists. Some of the best pine I ever worked with was KDAT pine (Kiln Dried After Treatment (pressure treatment)).