Boron compounds are highly effective wood preservatives and have an established safe use in the timber treatment industry. Their widespread background occurrence in nature, low acute mammalian toxicity and useful properties make them versatile active ingredients within today's environmentally aware society. A critical review of health, safety and environmental data on the borates, their use and eventual disposal is used to illustrate many of the issues that have to be addressed by the chemical industry today in assessing the performance of their products in the marketplace. This current state of knowledge is contrasted to the detailed requirements of life cycle analysis with an assessment made of its future role in environmental management.

Download document (902 kb)
free for the members of IRG. Available if purchased.

Purchase this document