Bd. Culver et Sa. Hubbard, INORGANIC BORON HEALTH-EFFECTS IN HUMANS - AN AID TO RISK ASSESSMENT AND CLINICAL JUDGMENT, The Journal of trace elements in experimental medicine, 9(4), 1996, pp. 175-184
This is a review of human response to elevated levels of boron contain
ing compounds with emphasis on studies containing sufficient detail fo
r evaluation of dose-response relationships. Qualitative information i
s also included where it will assist assessment of risk or contribute
to clinical judgment. Skin absorption and dermatitis is also reviewed.
Quantitative data are sparse, especially for infants and children. Fo
r acute oral doses in children, there are only two data points where d
ose and temporal relationships have been estimated with some care and
where recovery was uneventful; these come from a single paper. Doses w
ere 94.7 mg B/kg in a 24-day infant and 30.4 mg B/kg in a 14-month inf
ant. Effects were irritability, mild diarrhea with vomiting, marked er
ythema in the diaper area at 94.7 mg, and sparse, mildly erythematous
macular rashes on the face and neck at 30.4 mg. Adults given intraveno
us doses averaging 25 mg B-10/kg (range 19-46 mg B-10/kg) over a 75-se
cond period responded within 2 minutes with nausea followed by vomitin
g, excitation, and subsequent mild depression. No-effect levels for hu
mans can be established at about 1 g of boric acid per day (2.5 mg B/k
g/day). The chronic adverse effect level is 5.0 mg B/kg/day. Infant re
sponse al high levels is similar enough to adult responses that it is
reasonable to assume that the infant is not more sensitive than the hu
man adult. Non-systemic effects of boron are minor. Respiratory exposu
re in industry has not caused chronic pulmonary effects. Skin exposure
does not cause dermatitis. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.