ASTM_D_5583_-_00.pdf

Designation:D 5583 00Standard Test Method forDetection and Estimation of Retention of WoodPreservatives by Aspergillus Bioassaying1This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 5583;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon(e)indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope1.1 This test method covers a non-chemical,biologicalprocedure for assaying wood for approximate preservativecontent(Note 1).It requires minimal equipment and technicalproficiency.No costly equipment is needed other than a smallautoclave for preparing fungal media.It does not requirecomposite samples,such as called for in Specification D 1760to ascertain preservation retentions,therefore it is used toassess retention at individual locations.NOTE1With appropriate,simple adaptation,the method can be usedwith other products besides wood,such as fungicidal paints and glues.Theassaying is done wherever it is convenient,since aseptic precautions arenot required except for maintaining a pure stock culture of the assayfungus.1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as thestandard.The inch-pound units given in parentheses are forinformation only.1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2D 1760 Specification for Pressure Treatment of TimberProducts3.Summary of Test Method3.1 Small wood specimens of prescribed size are placed onnutrient agar in a Petri dish freshly seeded with spores ofAspergillus niger,a black mold,and the culture is allowed toincubate for three to four days.The fungus is unable to produceits typical black spores around samples containing an inhibi-tory amount of preservative;this indicates the presence ofpreservative,and the size of the white area(zone of effect)isthe index of preservative retention(see Fig.1 and Fig.2).Therelation of retention to zone of effect is determined for eachpreservative,from assays of specimens containing a gradient ofretentions of the preservative.(See example for pentachlo-rophenol in Fig.3.)Hereafter,this is called the referencerelations.4.Significance and Use4.1 This test method is intended for use with any preserva-tive that is of uniform composition and not so tightly bound tothe wood or so water insoluble that it cannot diffuse in theculture medium on which the assay fungus is grown(1,2,3).3It is especially applicable to monitoring non-pressure treatedmillwork and other wood items(4),but it can be used todetermine approximate preservative retentions at prescribedlocations in pressure-treated wood(5).When measuring lon-gitudinal preservative penetration,as is especially useful withmillwork,the wood can be sampled on the end grain.The assayalso provides a reliable means of observing losses of preser-vative retention in wood during service(or experimentallysubjected to particular environmental conditions).This testmethod is not intended for comparing preservatives nor forestimating retentions of a preservative of variable composition,such as creosote.It can be used,however,for comparingrelative potencies of such preservative.5.Apparatus5.1 Conventional Equipment,for culturing and aseptic han-dling of fungi,such as autoclave,refrigerator,transfer needle,and gas or alcohol burner.5.2 Glassware,100 by 15 mm(approximately)Petri dishes,glass or plastic,250 mL Erlenmeyer flasks,and a few 150 by22 mm(approximately)test tubes.5.3 Room or Chamber,in which temperature is controlled at22 to 27C(72 to 82F).1This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D07 on Woodand is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D07.06 on Treatments for WoodProducts.Current edition approved Oct.10,2000.Published December 2000.Originallypublished as D 5583 94.Last previous edition D 5583 94.2For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.3The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to the list of references at the end ofthis test method.1Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959,United States.5.4 Atomizer,delivering a fine spray(optional).5.5 Tools,such as increment borer,plug cutter,saw,andknife for extracting samples and cutting them to desiredspecimen size.6.Assay Fungus6.1 The assay fungus shall be Aspergillus niger Van Tiegh4(for example,culture ATCC 64045 from the American TypeCulture Collection).7.Culture Medium7.1 The nutrient medium for carrying the stock culture,andfor the