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Environmental Biogeochemistry Research Group | Research Themes

Boron in the environment: sources and fate
This study is reviewing and catagorising the principle industrial and domestic sources of boron in the environment and examining the fate of this element. The main sources of domestic boron in the environment are laundry products, sewage, agricultural chemicals and fertilisers, coal combustion mining and glass and ceramics manufacturing. Advised limits in drinking and irrigation waters range between 0.3 mg/L in human drinking water and 4 mg/L in irrigation waters.

Boron determination in waters by fluoroborate ion-selective electrode

WOOD, J. and NICHOLSON, K. (1995). Boron determination in water by ion-selective electrode. Environment International, 21, 237-243.

Boron fractionation and mass balance across sewage treatment plants
Borates fractionate between the aqueous effluent and the sewage cake from a treatment plant. This study is examining the speciation of boron in the effluent, the proportion fractionated between the aqueous and solid phases and the total annual mass of boron discharged into the environment.

Behaviour of boron in soil profiles treated with sewage sludge
As disposal of sewage sludge onto agricultural land is a common practice that will see increased application, this project is investigating the fate of sewage-boron in the soil profile and the concomitant impacts on agricultural land quality.

Contribution of detergents to environmental boron flux in the UK
Widely recognised as the single most significant source of borates in the environment. This work has estimated the total UK boron flux to the environment as a consequence of domestic and industrial detergent use.

WELLS, C., WOOD, J. and NICHOLSON, K. (1998). Boron in the environment: an evaluation of the contribution from detergents. 16th European Environmental Geochemistry and Health Meeting, Derby, March, 1998.

Boron leaching from coal ash
Boron is readily leached from coal ash at ambient environmental conditions and represents a potential threat to water and soil environments in proximity to coal-ash waste dumps and landfill with large quantities of ash. This study investigates methods to routinely monitor the boron content of ash residues and leachate.

WOOD, J. and NICHOLSON, K. (1998). Boron determination in coal ash by fluoroborate ion-selective electrode. In: NICHOLSON, K. (Editor). Energy & the Environment. Geochemistry of fossil, nuclear & renewable resources. Environmental Geochemistry

Boron in mineral waters: implications for health
Dietary intake of boron is the major source of this element in humans. This study determined the boron content of several mineral waters to evaluate their potential dietary contribution.

WOOD, J. and NICHOLSON, K. (1996). A Comparison of Boron Determination Using Ion-Selective Electrode, Ion Chromatography and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. 14th European Environmental Geochemistry and Health Meeting, London, April, 1996.

Methods for the removal of borates from natural and waste waters
As boron commonly occurs as a neutral boric acid species, this is not removed by common water treatment processes and can therefore accumulate in areas of surface water abstraction where there is multiple utilisation downstream. This work is examining methods that may be employed to bring the boron drinking water level below Who guidelines of 0.3mg/L.