Boron has been found to be potentially harmful in
drinking water. It is believed that the level of
boron should not exceed about 0.5 mg/l (0.5 ppm)
as boron in potable water. Also, water used for
irrigation must have a boron content between relatively
tight limits (0.2 to 0.5 mg/l). The presence of
boron in drinking water has diverse origins:
• High natural
concentration of boron in ground water in some
specific regions of the world (e. g. Anatolia,
Turkey)
• Sea water desalination
by reverse osmosis, where the membranes have
a poor boron rejection capability
• Contamination
of ground water with borate formerly used in
washing powder/detergent
• As a residual
from industrial activities
Boron is usually present in water as boric acid,
a very weak acid.
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