Yew chopping boards???

[HCR]

This relates to T cuspidata, and doesn't specifically mention anyone or anything dying from being in contact with yew wood, but it lists the compounds (including taxinine) found in the roots:

 

Fumio Kawamura, Tatsuro Ohira, Yoshinari Kikuchi, Constituents from the roots of Taxus cuspidata, Journal of Wood Science, November 2004, Volume 50, Issue 6, pp 548-551

[HCR]

And this (possibly apocryphal) reference:

[ginger_badger]

I thank you rob d for the info, infact every1. I think I shall leave the yew on the back burner for now as iv just felled a few ash trees and oak in my friends wood.

[agg221]

As promised, I spoke to my colleague and he went away and had a look. No references I'm afraid, as he went through several sources (his professional interest is in solvent extraction, his private interest is in the cultivation of coniferous species, hence he has literature on both). His general conclusion was that the concentration of taxines in yew wood would be sufficiently high that, if extracted, it could be damaging to health. They are not extractable in water at neutral pH, but would be extractable into acids, alcohol, oils and fats.

 

The rate of extraction is not likely to be very high, as the permeability of the wood is low, but you could probably extract enough to have a negative effect if you left, say, a drink standing in a yew goblet, or butter/soft cheese on a board for a few hours.

 

His general conclusion was that he would not be inclined to do it.

 

Alec