The two active ingredients in both Polesaver and Bioguard are Boron and Fluoride which are naturally occurring chemicals which are already widely distributed thoughout the soil and sea. Boron is an essential micronutrient for the healthy growth of plants. Fluoride is one of the more common elements on the surface of the earth being three times more abundant than carbon. Fluoride is found in all sedentary and igneous rocks, in the tissues of all plants and animals and is present in food and added to many water supplies as a part of ongoing fluoridation.

Chemical analysis has proven that any water soluble active ingredients that may leach from Polesaver or Bioguard treated poles does not accumulate into the surrounding soil. A number of studies conducted where soil surrounding treated poles was analysed for Boron and Fluoride could only detect trace levels similar to that found naturally occurring in the soil.

Results from a recent USA study entitles "A Field Study of Mobility of Supplemental Wood Preservatives in Adirondack Wetlands" was published at the 1993 American Wood Preservative Conference. This extensive and unique project was established to investigate the environmental release and fate (migration, distribution and persistence) of remedial wood preservatives in soil, surface and groundwater environments in the environmentally sensitive wetland area. In addition the study evaluated the potential health and environmental impacts associated with the typical application of these remedial preservatives to wooden poles. (most of the remedial wood preservatives in the study were considerably more hazardous compared to those found in Polesaver and Bioguard) The study concluded that "wood preservatives from supplementary treated poles were not found in concentrations above ground levels, in ground water, surface water or in soil." The absence of detectable residues was related to physical and chemical factors including the relatively small mass of the applied chemicals, a high affinity for absorption to the wood surface and the ability of water soluble preservatives to bio-degrade. The conclusions of this study would be very relevant to the use of Polesaver rods and Bioguard bandage.