This and more at my blog: Pallet Craft!
Today I am going to share with you the other treatment method used on pallet wood; fumigation using Methyl Bromide. First, I would like to state that using these pallets that have been fumigated using methyl bromide could be extremely dangerous to your health!
What is Methyl Bromide?
Methyl Bromide is manufactured from naturally occurring bromide salts. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers this gas to be an ozone depleting substance (ODS) that can thin the atmosphere. Most commonly used on strawberries in California, Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO) used in citrus drinks as a preservative of flavors and in other post harvest applications (that’s right folks, you eat this stuff).
The IPPC (International Plant Protection Convention) in 2002 set methyl bromide as the only fumigant allowed to be used in pallet pest control. The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) also adopted these regulations in 2005. The National Wood Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA) manages the regulation of this treatment method in the United States.
The lumber which will become pallet wood is locked into an air sealed chamber where it is gassed for 24 hours while maintaining a temperature of at least 52 degrees Fahrenheit. The wood pallets are then marked similarly to the following stamp.
I do not recommend using fumigated pallets for wood working. I do not endorse the use of methyl bromide in any application either. Use heat treated wood instead and save the environment and don’t take any risks!