Boric acid poisoning

O Sullivan, K. and M. Taylor. 1983. Chronic boric acid poisoning in infants. Arch. Dis. Child. 58 737-739. Pagenkopf, G.K. and J.M. Connolly. 1982. Retention of boron by coal ash. Environ. Sci. Technol. 16 609-613. Papachristou, E., R. Tsitouridou, and B. Kabasakabs. 1987. Boron levels in some groundwaters of Halkidiki (a land at northern Aegean Sea). Chemosphere 16 419A27. 

Schillinger, B.M., M. Berstein, L.A. Goldberg, and A.R. Shahta. 1982. Boric acid poisoning. Jour. Amer. Acad. Dermatol. 7 667-673. 

Severe acute boric acid poisoning occurred in a 3-year-old boy after the application of a boric acid-containing talcum powder (4). 

Goldbloom RB, Goldbloom A. Boric acid poisoning report of four cases and a review of 109 cases from the world hterature. J Pediatr 1953 43(6) 631 3. 

Valdes-Dapena MA, Arey JB. Boric acid poisoning three fatal cases with pancreatic inclusions and a review of the hterature. J Pediatr 1962 61 531. 

Baliah T, MacLeish H, Drummond KN. Acute boric acid poisoning report of an infant successfully treated by peritoneal dialysis. Can Med Assoc J 1969 101(3) 166-8. 

Schmid F, Zbinden J, Schlatter C. Zwei Falle von letaler Borsaurevergiftung nach Blasenspulung. [Two cases of fatal boric acid poisoning after bladder irrigation.) Schweiz Med Wochenschr 1972 102(3) 83-8. 

Boric acid is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and from damaged skin, wounds, and mucous membranes, although it does not readily permeate intact skin. The main symptoms of boric acid poisoning are abdominal pain, diarrhea, erythematous rash involving both skin and mucous membrane, and vomiting. These symptoms may be followed by desquamation, and stimulation or depression of the central nervous system. Convulsions, hyperpyrexia, and renal tubular damage have been known to occur. 

Acute boric acid poisoning is extremely rare. Symptoms in extremely large doses will be similar to those seen in chronic overexposure (see below). 

There is no specific antidote. Supportive care should be instituted for all patients with history of serious boric acid exposure. Substantial recent ingestions may benefit from administration of activated charcoal. Fluid and electrolyte balance, correction of acid/base disturbance, and control of seizures are essential to therapy. Hemodialysis has been successfully used to treat acute boric acid poisoning. Sodium bicarbonate may be used for any metabolic acidosis. 

According to Table IV, the reactivity measurements had to cover a range of about 0.89 < < 1.16. Boric acid poisoning of the moderator... 

The second control mechanism is the soluble reactor poison boric acid [10043-35-3] Natural boron contains 20% boron-10 [14798-12-0] ... 

Chemical shim control is effected by adjusting the concentration of boric acid dissolved ia the coolant water to compensate for slowly changing reactivity caused by slow temperature changes and fuel depletion. Eixed burnable poison rods are placed ia the core to compensate for fuel depletion. 

Relatively high concentrations of boron componnds are used to control fruitflies, cockroaches, gypsy moth larvae, houseflies, and woodboring insects (Sprague 1972 USEPA 1975 Table 29.6). Boric acid is an effective stomach poison for several insect species, including German cockroaches (Blattella germanica), that are unable to detect the presence of boric acid (USEPA 1975). Insect infestation of wood and other substrates can be prevented by pretreatment with boric acid or borax at... 

Egfjord, M., J.A. Jansen, H. Flachs, and J.S. Schou. 1988. Combined boric acid and cinchocaine chloride poisoning in a 12-month-old infant evaluation of haemodialysis. Human Toxicol. 7 175-178. 

Caution Boric acid is used as roach poison and should not be taken internally. 

When called for use boric acid, granular, as powdered boric acid is extremely difficult to dissolve in water. Boric acid is used as cockroach poison. Do not ingest. 

Boric acid alone is more rapidly eliminated as the volatile methyl borate, B(OCH3)3, (highly poisonous). If much boric acid is present, two treatments with CH3OH and HC1 may be required. 

Boric acid is an absorber of insect cuticle wax and a stomach poison. Its mode of action on insects has not been clearly established. Two major hypotheses have been proposed ... 

Borate buffers The useful pH range for borate buffers is 8.5-10.0. Boric acid is poisonous in high concentration, and it complexes with vicinal diols like ribose. 

In the past, boric acid was falsely considered to be relatively non-toxic, and had an unwarranted reputation as a germicide. However, it is only bacteriostatic, even in a saturated aqueous solution, and can cause adverse reactions. Boric acid has often proved poisonous, either by ingestion or after local use. Cases from the world literature have been reviewed (1,2). In 172 cases of boric acid intoxication, including 83 deaths, 37 deaths occurred after external use, including 23 children with nappy rash. From 1974 to 1984, the Poison Centre in Paris recorded 134 cases of intoxication with boric acid or borates, 88 of which were accidental and 31 iatrogenic. 

Boric acid is a crystalline material that is derived from the mineral borax. It is effective as a stomach poison against several kinds of... 

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