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dust in Turkish populations and boron mining and processing workers found no effect. One study even reported elevated fertility rates in borax production workers as compared to the US national average. All this is important because possible reproductive toxicity is the official reason for the present assault on borax. The sodium chloride MSDS mentioned above also states: "While sodium chloride has been used as a negative control in some reproductive studies, it has also been used as an example that almost any chemical can cause birth defects in experimental animals if studied under the right conditions." Keep this in mind when you read the following. administered were many times in excess of those to which = dust in Turkish populations and boron mining and humans would normally be exposed... No evidence of _ processing workers found no effect. One study even carcinogenicity in mice. No mutagenic activity was reported elevated fertility rates in borax production observed for boric acid in a battery of short-term workers as compared to the US national average. mutagenicity assays. Human epidemiological studies All this is important because possible reproductive show no increase in pulmonary disease in occupational toxicity is the official reason for the present assault on populations with chronic exposures to boric acid dust and —_ borax. The sodium chloride MSDS mentioned above also sodium borate dust... [and] no effect on fertility." states: "While sodium chloride has been used as a Here you see that table salt is 50-100 per cent more __ negative control in some reproductive studies, it has also toxic than borax; it changes the genetic material and is been used as an example that almost any chemical can mutagenic, while borax is harmless in this regard. Infants cause birth defects in experimental animals if studied are most at risk from high borax ingestion. It has been under the right conditions." Keep this in mind when you estimated that 5-10 grams can cause severe vomiting, read the following. diarrhoea, shock and even death, but lethal doses are not well documented in the literature. The Assault on Borax The following toxicity data are from documents of the Arthritis and osteoporosis affect about 30 per cent of US Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for people in developed countries. Osteoporosis requires Disease Control." more long-term hospital care than any other individual A review of 784 accidental human poisonings from 10to — disease. This is a main source of income for the 88 grams of boric acid reported medical-pharmaceutical system. no fatalities, with 88 per cent of f the boron—magnesium cure cases bein asymptomatic, oe . becomes widely known, this vital meaning that they did not notice This IS very different now. income stream will stop. The anything. However, In response, borax is medical-pharmaceutical gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, 0 9 industry cannot allow this to hepatic, renal and central publicly demonised and appen. nervous system effects, important articles about it When Dr Newnham discovered dermatitis, erythema and death he boron-arthritis cure, it was have been observed in some have been removed not a big problem for the children and adults exposed to from PubMed. pharmaceutical companies more than 84 mg_boron/kg, because news travelled slowly corresponding to more than 40 g and was easily suppressed. This of borax for 60 kg of body weight. is very different now. In Animal studies have identified reproductive toxicity as response, borax is publicly demonised and important the most sensitive effect of boron ingestion. Exposure of articles about it have been removed from PubMed. rats, mice and dogs for several weeks showed some In the European Union, borax is now replaced by a borax damage to the testes and sperm at doses of more than 26 substitute. Borax and boric acid were reclassified as mg boron/kg, which corresponds to 15 g of borax/day for "Reprotoxic Category 2", and since December 2010 have 60 kg of body weight. Most at risk is the developing been banned from public sale. This is part of a Globally foetus, and, in the studied animals, rats were most Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of affected. In one study, slight reductions in the foetal body Chemicals (GHS). In 2012, Australia is to implement new weight were already found at 13.7 mg boron/kg/day used —GHS regulations.”! during pregnancy. The no-effect dose was set at less than To paraphrase the European Chemicals Agency's reason 13.7 mg/kg/day, corresponding to about 7 g of borax for 60 or its reclassification of boron products: The available kg of body weight. data do not indicate major differences between laboratory However, a rat study lasting for three generations found — animals and humans, therefore it must be assumed that no reproductive toxicity at 30 mg boron/kg/day. This dose e effects seen in animals could occur in humans, as corresponds to 17 g of borax for 60 kg ingested for three epidemiological studies in humans are insufficient to generations! In another three-generation study, no demonstrate the absence of an adverse effect of inorganic problem was found at 17.5 mg_ boron/kg/day, borates on fertility. corresponding to 9 g of borax/60 kg, while the next higher A dose of 17.5 mg boron/kg/day was derived as an tested dose of 58.5 mg/kg/day, corresponding to 30 g of OAEL [no effect level] for male and female fertility. For borax/60 kg, resulted in infertility. Therefore, we can e rat, decreased foetal weight occurred at 13.7 mg assume that the safe reproductive dose is up to about 20 boron/kg/day, and a safe limit of 9.6 mg/kg/day has been 2/60 kg/day. derived.” Human studies of the possible association between impaired fertility and high boron levels in water, soil and Continued on page 79 In response, borax is publicly demonised and important articles about it have been removed In 34 * NEXUS JUNE - JULY 2012 This is very different now. from PubMed. Continued on page 79 www.nexusmagazine.com