Wood preservation facilities, inorganic boron: chapter I, table 4

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Table 4. Potential Health Effects of Exposure to Boron

		Possible health effects
Exposure category (Route of Entry)	Type of exposure	Short-term exposure	Long-term exposure
Estimated daily intake from various sources (air, water, food) with limited to no heath effect ^Footnotea
Boron (food being the principal source)	1 to 4 mg/day
Eye contact ^Footnoteb^Footnotec^Footnoted^Footnotee^Footnotef^Footnoteg	Direct contact	Moderate irritation Redness, pain	Irritation Inflammation
Skin contact ^Footnoteb^Footnotec^Footnoted^Footnotee^Footnotef^Footnoteg	Significant skin contact with work solutions or concentrates	Can be absorbed through skin in presence of lesion Irritation, redness	Irritation Inflammation
Exposure to airborne contaminant or dust Inhalation ^Footnoteb^Footnotec^Footnoted^Footnotee^Footnotef^Footnoteg American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) threshold limit value-time weighted averages (TWAs) ^Footnotee^Footnotef ACGIHrefers to disodium octaborate tetrahydrate as a “particulate not otherwise classified” or “nuisance dust.”	Inhalation of mists, droplets or dust of work solutions or concentrates Borate compounds, inorganic: Threshold Limit Value (TLV) TWA 2 mg/m3 (I) = inhalable fraction Boron oxide: TLV TWA 10 mg/m³ The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)/Permissible Exposure Level (PEL) (permissible exposure level) is 15 mg/m³ respirable dust.	Moderate irritation Can be absorbed through mucous membranes and by ingestion of mucociliary activity	Irritation Inflammation
Ingestion ^Footnoteb^Footnotec^Footnoted^Footnotee^Footnotef^Footnoteg	Ingestion of work solutions or concentrates through manipulation of contaminated goods (dishes, gum, candy, food, tobacco, liquids)	Boron is well absorbed from gastrointestinal tract Vomiting, abdominal pain, nausea, pain and diarrhea Potential male fertility issues	Lethargy, headache, lightheadedness and rash
Chronic symptoms ^Footnoteb^Footnotec^Footnoted^Footnotee^Footnotef^Footnoteg	Repeated exposures	Potential male fertility issues

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2017-09-10