Kidney damage is also likely if severe amounts of methyl bromide have been inhaled. When exposed to skin, it can cause tingling and itching. It can also be absorbed through the skin: symptoms of absorption are redness, burning sensation, pain, and blisters. Redness, pain, blurred vision, and temporary loss of vision are the symptoms that occur when methyl bromide comes in the contact with eyes. Fortunately, methyl bromide has not been used to fumigate pallets since , but there are still old pallets in circulation, which means that you need to be on the lookout for them.
If you find an MB pallet, please do not use it for your craft project, in the garden, or as firewood. Instead, find a waste removal company that can dispose of it properly.
Every pallet has a label stamped on it somewhere. If your pallet does not have this label, then it means that it was produced locally or at the very least in your country and is thus designed for domestic use. However, it is better to be safe than sorry, so using pallets without a stamp is not recommended, as you are putting yourself at risk.
DB means that the wood was debarked. It has no bearing on the safety of the pallet. MB means that hazardous methyl bromide was used to treat the wood, so steer clear of such pallets if you want to use them for your edible garden crops, as they will toxify them with chemicals, which can lead to devastating health complications.
One study found that the inhalation of such fumes can scar the human lungs even after short-term exposure. To make matters worse, acute exposure to methyl bromide can lead to pulmonary edema, a condition in which there is too much fluid in the lungs and that is known to cause severe respiratory issues. Methyl bromide depletes the ozone layer, meaning that it is easier for ultraviolet sunlight to reach the Earth, which is detrimental to our quality of life, as ozone is essential when filtering harmful radiation.
Despite international bans, the chemical is still being used. Certain foods in North America are known to contain methyl bromide since it is very effective at killing off nematodes, fungi, and weeds, all while being cheap when compared to alternatives.
From Pallets. HT pallets are not harmful to your health and can be used in safety. There is one final thing to check before using a found pallet. While it might be a harmless stain, such as from soda, or less harmful substances such as oil, the risk of it being far more than that does not justify using it. Often for the bigger pallet projects, such as bed frames, patio furniture, shelving, etc…, having pallets of identical size is a big benefit.
Pallets like these are much harder to come by, you may end up with some square, some small rectangle and some much larger. They may have boards across the top only or both on the top and bottom, they might be made from different woods, and some might be more worn than others. So size and style consistency is another good reason to leave those discarded pallets well alone.
Remember, a discarded pallet is often discarded for a reason. Pallet distributors will usually pay very well for second hand pallets that are in good shape, as pallets can be reused many times, or repurposed and recycled to make other products such as biofuel or animal bedding.
And a discarded pallet is possibly unsuitable for some reason or unsuitable for future use. We always advise our pallet crafting community not to take the risk of picking up a discarded pallet. The safest pallets are the ones with a documented history. And all of the pallets at Universal Pallets are recorded, checked over by professionals, and heat treated when necessary.
If you buy your pallets from Universal Pallets, the team can also advise you on the best types for your project. If you need rustic, worn pallets, we can pick out a few that match each other well. Many articles about pallet safety place top priority on finding pallets that have an ISPM stamp or other stamps , such as EPAL, to confirm that pallets that are safe to use. This advice is nonsense. While pallet markings are important to the regulations mentioned above, for the crafter, pallet stamps are not a top priority at all.
The ISPM heat treatment stamp, for example, indicates that the pallet—as a whole or its components—has been charged in a heat chamber to the required temperature for the required length of time. While this treatment eliminates insect infestation at the time of the application, it does not help the prospective pallet scrap crafter to understand the subsequent history and potential exposures of the pallet.
Another oft-repeated and curious cautionary note is to avoid pallets with an MB methyl bromide treatment stamp. In the first place, you are highly unlikely to find an MB stamped pallet in North America.
Second, the MB quickly dissipates in an open-air environment. It's akin to carbon monoxide from your exhaust—only a problem if you're shut in your garage. MB treatment is not going to cause a problem unless you are working in an enclosed area with a pallet you somehow obtained immediately after treatment, which is extremely unlikely.
Several pallet articles discuss the threat of "chemically treated" pallets. Pallet treatment isn't a problem. The main chemicals used on pallets are mold treatments and MB. Pallets used locally for innocuous materials such as textiles or paper products are your best bet, but you still want to make sure these are from a trusted source. Outdoor uses, such as bike racks and signage, are generally safe applications for pallet wood. To be safe, do not use upcycled pallets indoors unless they came from a trusted source, and avoid growing food on or near used pallet wood.
For the health of you, your family, and the planet, never burn pallet wood or treated lumber in your fireplace. Other than buying new, you can also try to develop relationships with businesses in your area to source old pallets that were not used to ship food, chemicals, or other materials that may contaminate the wood.
In some cases, you may also be able to source off-cuts from pallet manufacturers in your area. These wood pieces may be slightly warped, cut to the wrong size, or otherwise inappropriate for use in a new pallet — meaning they may go to waste without a new home. Call around to pallet manufacturers or distributors near you and ask how they dispose of their off-cuts. They may be willing to give them away or sell them at a low cost.
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