Boron – a substance that is omnipresent in water

Boron is a substance that occurs very frequently in the environment in combination with oxygen. This includes oceans and plants, but also our drinking water and our food.

The natural substance is only slightly harmful to humans and animals. It is even essential for plants. It helps them maintain their water balance.

Since plants contain and need a lot of boron, we humans also absorb it through plants. For example, vegetables can contain the substance. However, the concentration of the substance is particularly high in wine and fruit juices.

Health consequences

Boron is only potentially harmful to humans if large amounts are ingested over a long period of time.

In fact, the body can almost completely break down the substance in a short time, so it has almost no effect on the metabolism.

When borate (a special form of boron) is taken as a medication, side effects such as nausea may occur. Various effects, including infertility, have also been found in animal experiments. What these mean for people is often unclear.

Nevertheless, it is believed that a 70 kg person can consume 21 mg daily during their lifetime without expecting serious harm. In fact, in Europe only 1.6 to 4.5 mg per day is consumed on average per person per day. This means that the fear of boron is usually unfounded, as the substance is usually unproblematic when absorbed through water.

In Germany and the EU the limit is exactly 1 mg/l. The WHO sets it at 0.5 g/l.