Wood preservation facilities, inorganic boron (borate): chapter I

Preservative-specific Information and Recommendations

This chapter must be used in conjunction with Part I - Chapter A - General Recommendations for All Wood Preservatives.

Table of contents

• 1 Production and Use
• 2 Physical and Chemical Properties
• 3 Environmental Effects
  • 3.1 Aquatic Toxicity
• 4 Human Health Concerns
• 5 Description of Preservative Application and Potential Chemical Discharges
  • 5.1 Description of Process
  • 5.2 Potential Chemical Discharges
  • 5.3 Potential Effects of Chemical Discharges
• 6 Protection of Personnel
  • 6.1 First Aid Precautions and Hygiene for Borate Exposure
  • 6.2 Regulatory Controls
  • 6.3 Safety Precautions
  • 6.4 Biological Monitoring of Exposed Workers
• 7 Design Recommendations
• 8 Operational Recommendations
  • 8.1 Operational Standards
  • 8.2 Facility Wide Recommendations
  • 8.3 Process Area-specific Recommendations
• 9 Waste, Process Emissions and Disposal
  • 9.1 Control, Treatment and Disposal
  • 9.2 Liquids Containing Boron
  • 9.3 Solids with High Boron Concentrations
  • 9.4 Miscellaneous Solid Wastes
  • 9.5 Air Emissions
• 10 Environmental and Workplace Monitoring
  • 10.1 Baseline Environmental Evaluation
  • 10.2 Environmental Monitoring
  • 10.3 Workplace Exposure Monitoring
• 11 Transportation of Preservative Solids, Solutions and Wastes
• 12 Environmental Emergency Notification and Contingency Planning
• 13 References

List of tables

• Table 1. Overview of Borate Use in Canada
• Table 2. Physical and Chemical Properties of Borate Wood Preservatives
• Table 3. Regulatory Limits for Boron in Natural Water Bodies
• Table 4. Potential Health Effects of Exposure to Boron
• Table 5. First Aid Measures for Exposure to Borate
• Table 10. Additional Recommended Design Features for Chemical Delivery Areas
• Table 11. Additional Recommended Design Features for Chemical Storage Areas
• Table 12. Additional Recommended Design Features for Chemical Mixing Systems
• Table 14. Additional Recommended Design Features for Freshly Treated Wood Drip Area
• Table 16. Additional Recommended Design Features for Treated Wood Storage Areas
• Table 20. Additional Recommended Operating Practices for Borate Process Systems
• Table 24. Typical Background Levels of Boron

List of figures

• Figure 1 Potential Releases from Borate Pressure Treating Plants