Borax

I recently read the book, “The Safe Shopper’s Bible”. Some of the alternatives to brand name cleaning products they mention are great and are probably much safer for the environment than brand-name chemical cleaners, but are they safe for the person doing the cleaning? I’ve looked up some of these “nontoxic” alternatives…

Borax is a naturally occurring mineral, soluble in water, and many natural cleaning guides list it as a “safe” alternative to harsh commercial chemicals. It can deodorize, inhibit the growth of mildew and mold, boost the cleaning power of soap or detergent, remove stains, and can be used with attractants such as sugar to kill cockroaches. What a wonderful disinfectant cleaner… but if you go to http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov and look up borax and click on the first link under the heading “Information from other National Library of Medicine databases” you’ll find:

Human Toxicity Excerpts: Fatal doses for humans are variously est to be 5 to 6 g for children and 10 to 25 g for adults.
[Clayton, G. D. and F. E. Clayton (eds.). Patty's Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology: Volume 2A, 2B, 2C: Toxicology. 3rd ed. New York: John Wiley Sons, 1981-1982. 3059]**PEER REVIEWED**

By the way 5 grams is about a teaspoon! I’ve heard of many people using Borax as a carpet deodorizer - please please don’t ever do that if you have small pets or children. Using it mixed with water to clean bathrooms it’s great! - Just make sure to use gloves.

Borax and boric acid used in powders and ointments have resulted in serious poisonings and death.
[Seiler, H.G., H. Sigel and A. Sigel (eds.). Handbook on the Toxicity of Inorganic Compounds. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker, Inc. 1988. 135]**PEER REVIEWED**

Chronic poisoning: (From ingestion, skin absorption, or absorption from body cavities or mucous membranes) prolonged absorption causes anorexia, weight loss, vomiting, mild diarrhea, skin rash, alopecia, convulsions and anemia. /Boric acid & boron derivatives/
[Dreisbach, R.H. Handbook of Poisoning. 12th ed. Norwalk, CT: Appleton and Lange, 1987. 361]**PEER REVIEWED**

Chronic poisoning: (From ingestion, skin absorption, or absorption from body cavities or mucous membranes) prolonged absorption causes anorexia, weight loss, vomiting, mild diarrhea, skin rash, alopecia, convulsions and anemia. /Boric acid & boron derivatives/
[Dreisbach, R.H. Handbook of Poisoning. 12th ed. Norwalk, CT: Appleton and Lange, 1987. 361]**PEER REVIEWED**

BECAUSE HIGHEST CONCN ARE REACHED DURING EXCRETION, THE KIDNEYS ARE MORE SERIOUSLY DAMAGED THAN OTHER ORGANS. /BORIC ACID & BORON DERIVATIVES/
[Dreisbach, R.H. Handbook of Poisoning. 12th ed. Norwalk, CT: Appleton and Lange, 1987. 360]**PEER REVIEWED**

Skin, Eye and Respiratory Irritations: … Borax … /is an irritant/ … when in contact with skin & mucous membranes of the eyes, nose & other sites in the resp tract. …
[American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. Documentation of the Threshold Limit Values and Biological Exposure Indices. 5th ed. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, 1986.60]**PEER REVIEWED**

Medical Surveillance: No specific considerations are needed for boric acid or borates except for general health and liver and kidney function. /Boric acid & borates/
[Sittig, M. Handbook of Toxic and Hazardous Chemicals and Carcinogens, 1985. 2nd ed. Park Ridge, NJ: Noyes Data Corporation, 1985. 139]**PEER REVIEWED**
Probable Routes of Human Exposure: These cmpd /Boric acid & borax/ may enter body by inhalation, ingestion or by skin absorption through mucous membranes or skin burns.
[International Labour Office. Encyclopedia of Occupational Health and Safety. Vols. I&II. Geneva, Switzerland: International Labour Office, 1983. 320]**PEER REVIEWED**

Sodium Perborate, an alternative to standard bleaches made with sodium hypochlorite. After reading about borax I think I’ll try and stay away from all borates, and stick to hydrogen peroxide as a bleach alternative.

Human Toxicity Excerpts: The fatal dose of boric acid, sodium borate, or sodium perborate is 0.1-0.5 g/kg.
[Dreisbach, R.H. Handbook of Poisoning. 12th ed. Norwalk, CT: Appleton and Lange, 1987. 360]**PEER REVIEWED**

In chronic poisoning with low levels of ingestion, there may be little more than dry skin and mucous membranes, followed by appearance of a red tongue, patchy alopecia, cracked lips, conjunctivitis, and sometimes periorbital edema and irritability. /Borates/
[Haddad, L.M. and Winchester, J.F. Clinical Management of Poisoning and Drug Overdosage. Philadelphia, PA: W.B. Saunders Co., 1983. 931]**PEER REVIEWED**

Chronic poisoning: (From ingestion, skin absorption, or absorption from body cavities or mucous membranes) prolonged absorption causes anorexia, weight loss, vomiting, mild diarrhea, skin rash, alopecia, convulsions and anemia. /Boric acid & boron derivatives/
[Dreisbach, R.H. Handbook of Poisoning. 12th ed. Norwalk, CT: Appleton and Lange, 1987. 361]**PEER REVIEWED**

Skin, Eye and Respiratory Irritations: … May produce irritation of the nasal mucous membranes, the respiratory tract, and eyes. /Boron compounds/
[Sittig, M. Handbook of Toxic and Hazardous Chemicals and Carcinogens, 1985. 2nd ed. Park Ridge, NJ: Noyes Data Corporation, 1985. 138]**PEER REVIEWED**

Medical Surveillance: No specific considerations are needed for boric acid or borates except for general health and liver and kidney function. /Boric acid & borates/
[Sittig, M. Handbook of Toxic and Hazardous Chemicals and Carcinogens, 1985. 2nd ed. Park Ridge, NJ: Noyes Data Corporation, 1985. 139]**PEER REVIEWED**