Boron

Boron is a chemical element used in a wide range of industries. It is used in glass as well as fiberglass manufacturing, nuclear power plants, soaps and detergents, and in agriculture to produce fertilizers and pesticides. It's also used in medicine to produce pharmaceuticals and antiseptics, and in cancer treatment.

Boron is most abundant in oceans, and can arrive in water naturally through leaching from rocks and soil, or through wastewater from industrial sites. Most human exposure to boron comes from fruits and vegetables.

How does boron get in my tap water?

Boron gets into tap water from both naturally occurring and man made sources. Some areas in the United States (California, Nevada, Oregon) have high concentrations of boron in some of their dirt. Contamination of water can come directly from industrial wastewater and municipal sewage, as well as indirectly from air deposition and soil runoff. Natural weathering processes, burning of coal in power plants, chemical plants, and manufacturing facilities releases boron into the air; and fertilizers, herbicides, and industrial wastes are among the sources of soil contamination.

Health Impact of Boron

In small amounts, boron is an essential nutrient, affecting the body's ability to metabolize nutrients. Deficiencies in boron can lead to changes in blood chemistry and growth rates.

An acute overdose to infants has caused diarrhea, vomiting, signs of irritability, erythema in the diaper area, a mild red rash on the face and neck, a pus-like discharge or mild congestion of the eye, and possibly convulsive seizures. In adults, an acute overdose causes nausea, vomiting, redness of the skin, difficulty swallowing due to ulcers in the throat, and a non-bloody diarrhea. In animals, acute excessive exposure has caused lethargy, rapid respiration, eye inflammation, swelling of the paws, shedding of the skin on the paws and tails, excitation during handling, and changes in the cells of the forestomach.

Currently Epic Water Filters has not tested for the removal of Boron but has tested for a number of similar chemicals found in drinking water.