Agency studying cancer risk of play sets. (American Park and Recreation Society).

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is entering into the debate about the health dangers of playground equipment made of pressure-treated wood--a product that's beginning to be phased out because of concerns it can leach arsenic, a known human carcinogen. In February, the agency released a staff study of 12 playgrounds in the Washington, D.C., area. It concluded that children who play on the equipment made of wood treated with chromated copper arsenate could face an increased risk of developing lung or bladder cancer over their lifetime. However, the staff recommended that the CPSC take no action on the matter until the Environmental Protection Agency completed its major study on the issue.

The EPA reached an agreement a year ago to phase out use of the preservative in new wood products by the beginning of next year. The preservative has been the principle chemical used on decks, playgrounds, picnic tables and similar outdoor structures.