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Document ID ca-gcdwqbhchv-2023-03-10 Title Guidelines for Canadian drinking water quality boron: Health considerations and health-based value URL https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/healthy-living/guidelines-canadian-drinking-water-quality-guideline-technical-document-boron/health-considerations.html Jurisdiction /ca Subdomain(s) Drinking water, Water quality standards Language en Status completed Analyzed at 2026-03-17 16:24:03.747056+00:00 Relevance Technical document defining health-based values and treatment for boron.

Q Qualitative Requirements (0)

No qualitative requirements.

P Quantitative Requirements (44)

Req ID Category Intent Legal Status Name Subdomain(s) Limit Type Limit Value Context Conditions Confidence
#P001chemicalhealthguidelineBorondrinking waterunknown0.1 mg/LThe health-based value (HBV) for boron in drinking water is 0.1 mg/L.high
#P002chemicalhealthguidelineBorondrinking waterunknown0.01 mg/kg body weight per dayThe tolerable daily intake (TDI) of boron is 0.01 mg/kg body weight per day.high
#P003chemicalhealthguidelineBoron Point of Departure (BMDL1SD)drinking waterrequirement2.90 mg/kg bw per dayTo derive a HBV for boron, the BMDL1SD of 2.90 mg/kg bw per day was employed.Based on decreased testicular weight observed in the dog study of Weir and Fisher (1972)high
#P004chemicalhealthguidelineBoron Alternative Health-Based Value (HBV)drinking waterrequirement1.7 mg/LAn alternative approach... using the data from Price et al. (1996)... would then yield an alternative value of 1.7 mg/L.Based on reduced fetal body weight in ratshigh
#P005chemicalhealthguidelineBoron Alternative Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI)drinking waterrequirement0.18 mg/kg bw per dayUsing the BMDL05 of 10.6 mg/kg bw per day, and an appropriate uncertainty factor of 60 (6 for intraspecies differences, 10 for interspecies differences), would yield a TDI of 0.18 mg/kg bw per day.Based on Price et al. (1996) data for reduced fetal body weight in ratshigh
#P006chemicalhealthguidelineBoron Alternative Point of Departure (BMDL05)drinking waterrequirement10.6 mg B/kg bw per dayBenchmark dose (BMD) modelling of the fetal body weight data from this study... yields a BMDL05... of 10.6 mg B/kg bw per day.Based on fetal body weight data from Price et al. (1996)high
#P007chemicalhealthguidelineBoron NOAEL (Developmental, Rats)drinking waterrequirement9.6 mg B/kg bw per dayDevelopmental NOAEL identified in Price et al. (1996) study for Sprague-Dawley rats.Based on decreased body weight and increased incidence of skeletal malformations (short rib XIII) at GD20.high
#P008chemicalhealthguidelineBoron NOAEL (Male Dog, 90-day)drinking waterrequirement3.9 mg B/kg bw per dayNOAEL for male beagle dogs in the 90-day study by Weir and Fisher (1972).Based on reproductive toxicity including decreased testis:bw ratio and testicular atrophy.high
#P009chemicalhealthguidelineBoron NOAEL (Female Dog, 90-day)drinking waterrequirement2.5 mg B/kg bw per dayNOAEL for female beagle dogs in the 90-day study by Weir and Fisher (1972).Based on systemic toxicity observations.high
#P010chemicalhealthguidelineBoron NOAEL (Rat, 2-year)drinking waterrequirement17.5 mg B/kg bw per dayNOAEL identified from the 2-year chronic rat study by Weir and Fisher (1972).Based on systemic and testicular effects observed at higher doses (58.5 mg B/kg bw per day).high
#P011chemicalhealthguidelineBoron Maternal NOAEL (Mice)drinking waterrequirement43.4 mg B/kg bw per dayMaternal NOAEL identified in Heindel et al. (1992, 1994) study.Based on increased kidney weight and renal tubular dilation in CD-1 mice.high
#P012chemicalhealthguidelineBoron Developmental LOAEL (Rats)drinking waterrequirement13.6 mg B/kg bw per dayDevelopmental LOAEL identified in Heindel et al. (1994) study.Based on decreased body weight, increased fetal resorptions and malformations in Sprague-Dawley rats.high
#P013chemicalhealthguidelineBoron Maternal NOAEL (Rabbits)drinking waterrequirement21.9 mg B/kg bw per dayMaternal NOAEL identified in Heindel et al. (1994) study.Based on decreased body weight and increased kidney weight in New Zealand rabbits.high
#P014chemicalhealthguidelineBoron LOAEL (Dog, 38-week)drinking waterrequirement29.2 mg B/kg bw per dayLOAEL identified from the 38-week dog study by Weir and Fisher (1972).Based on testicular atrophy, degeneration, and decreased spermatogenesis.high
#P015chemicalhealthguidelineBoron LOAEL (Mice, 90-day)drinking waterrequirement34 mg B/kg bw per dayLOAEL for male B6C3F1 mice in the 90-day study by Dieter (1994).Based on testicular degeneration and atrophy of seminiferous tubules.high
#P016chemicalhealthguidelineBoron LOAEL (Mice, 2-year)drinking waterrequirement48 mg B/kg bw per dayLOAEL identified from the 2-year study by Dieter (1994).Based on testicular atrophy interstitial and cell hyperplasia.high
#P017chemicalhealthguidelineBoron LOAEL (Rat, 70-day)drinking waterrequirement23.7 mg B/kg bw per dayLOAEL identified from Seal and Weeth (1980) study.Based on decreased testes weight and impaired spermatogenesis in Evans rats.high
#P018chemicalhealthguidelineBoron Acute Lethal Oral Dose (Adults)drinking waterrequirement3 - 49 g BThe acute lethal oral dose of boric acid ranges from 15 g to 280 g (3 g to 49 g B) in adults.high
#P019chemicalhealthguidelineBoron Acute Lethal Oral Dose (Newborns)drinking waterrequirement0.2 - 0.5 g BThe acute lethal oral dose of boric acid ranges from 1 g to 3 g (0.2 g to 0.5 g B) in newborns.high
#P020chemicalhealthguidelineBoron Acute Lethal Oral Dose (Infants)drinking waterrequirement0.9 - 1 g BThe acute lethal oral dose of boric acid ranges from 5 g to 6 g (0.9 g to 1 g B) in infants.high
#P021chemicalhealthguidelineBoron Acute Lethal Oral Dose (Children)drinking waterrequirement3 - 4 g BThe acute lethal oral dose of boric acid ranges from 15 g to 20 g (3 g to 4 g B) in children.high
#P022chemicalhealthguidelineBoron NOAEL (Rat, 90-day, Weir and Fisher)drinking waterrequirement8.8 mg B/kg bw per dayBased on systemic toxicity, the NOAEL of 8.8 mg B/kg bw per day can be identified from this 90-day study.Sprague-Dawley rats administered borax or boric acid in diet.high
#P023chemicalhealthguidelineBoron NOAEL (Developmental, Rat Phase II, Price)drinking waterrequirement12.9 mg B/kg bw per dayA developmental NOAEL of 12.9 mg B/kg bw per day can be identified from this phase of the study.Phase II post-natal study where exposure stopped at birth and pups followed until PND21.high
#P024chemicalhealthguidelineBoron NOAEL (Developmental, Mice, Heindel)drinking waterrequirement43.4 mg B/kg bw per dayDevelopmental NOAEL = 43.4 for mice in Heindel study.CD-1 mice, GD 0-17.high
#P025chemicalhealthguidelineBoron NOAEL (Maternal, Rat, Heindel)drinking waterrequirement13.6 mg B/kg bw per dayMaternal NOAEL = 13.6 for rats in Heindel study.Sprague-Dawley rats, GD 0-20.high
#P026chemicalhealthguidelineBoron NOAEL (Developmental, Rabbit, Heindel)drinking waterrequirement21.9 mg B/kg bw per dayDevelopmental NOAEL = 21.9 for rabbits in Heindel study.New Zealand rabbits, GD 6-19.high
#P027chemicalhealthguidelineBoron NOAEL (Dog, 2-year, Weir and Fisher)drinking waterrequirement8.8 mg B/kg bw per dayA NOAEL of 8.8 mg B/kg bw per day can be derived from this study.Young beagle dogs exposed for 104 weeks.high
#P028chemicalhealthguidelineBoron BMD05 (Rat, Allen et al)drinking waterrequirement10.3 mg B/kg bw per dayConsistent with the BMD05 of 10.3 mg B/kg bw per day established by Allen et al. (1996) using the same dataset.Based on fetal body weight data from Price et al. (1996).high
#P029chemicalhealthguidelineBorondrinking waterMAC0.1 mg/LThe health-based value (HBV) for boron in drinking water is 0.1 mg/L.high
#P030chemicalhealthguidelineBoron Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI)drinking waterrequirement0.01 mg/kg body weight per dayThe tolerable daily intake (TDI) of boron is 0.01 mg/kg body weight per day.Calculated by dividing the BMDL of 2.90 mg/kg body weight per day by the uncertainty factor of 300.high
#P031operationalhealthguidelineDrinking Water Allocation Factordrinking waterrequirement0.2 dimensionlessAllocation factor for drinking water used in derivation.Based on Canadian drinking water intake estimates of 3% to 16%, a floor value of 20% is appropriate.high
#P032physicalhealthguidelineAdult Body Weight (Average)drinking waterrequirement74 kgAverage body weight for an adult used in derivation.high
#P033operationalhealthguidelineAdult Drinking Water Intake Ratedrinking waterrequirement1.53 L/dayDrinking water intake rate for an adult used in HBV derivation.high
#P034unknownhealthguidelineTotal Uncertainty Factordrinking waterrequirement300 dimensionlessA total uncertainty factor of 300 was considered appropriate for assessment.Comprised of interspecies (10), intraspecies (10), and database (3) factors.high
#P035chemicalhealthguidelineBeneficial Boron Exposure Rangedrinking waterrequirement3.0 - 7.0 mg/LBeneficial effects on sperm parameters seen in men consuming water in this range.Suggestive of a U-shaped dose response curve; negative effects at higher/lower doses.high
#P036chemicalhealthguidelineAcute Lethal Oral Dose Boric Acid (Adults)drinking waterrequirement15 - 280 gThe acute lethal oral dose of boric acid in adults.Equivalent to 3 g to 49 g B.high
#P037chemicalhealthguidelineAcute Lethal Oral Dose Boric Acid (Newborns)drinking waterrequirement1 - 3 gThe acute lethal oral dose of boric acid in newborns.Equivalent to 0.2 g to 0.5 g B.high
#P038physicalhealthguidelineDermal Boron Absorption Rangeotherrequirement0.5 - 10 %Boron absorption through intact skin.Can be higher through damaged skin or in aqueous vehicles.high
#P039chemicalhealthguidelineBoric Acid Acute Lethal Oral Dose (Infants)drinking waterrequirement5 - 6 gThe acute lethal oral dose of boric acid ranges from 5 g to 6 g (0.9 g to 1 g B) in infants.Based on acute ingestion poisoning caseshigh
#P040chemicalhealthguidelineBoric Acid Acute Lethal Oral Dose (Children)drinking waterrequirement15 - 20 gThe acute lethal oral dose of boric acid ranges from 15 g to 20 g (3 g to 4 g B) in children.Based on acute ingestion poisoning caseshigh
#P041chemicalhealthguidelineMaternal Serum Boron Threshold (Decreased Birth Weight)drinking waterrequirement> 80 μg/Linfant birth weight and length were decreased in infants born to mothers with serum boron concentrations > 80 μg/L.Maternal serum concentrationhigh
#P042chemicalhealthguidelineAnimal Reproductive Toxicity Blood Level Referencedrinking waterrequirement2020 ng/gthe blood level associated with reproductive toxicity in animals is calculated as 2020 ng/g (corresponding to a NOAEL of 17.5 mg B/kg bw per day).Corresponds to a NOAEL of 17.5 mg B/kg bw per dayhigh
#P043chemicalhealthguidelineBoron Developmental LOAEL (Price et al., 1996)drinking waterrequirement13.3 mg B/kg bw per dayThe lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL) identified in the literature was 13.3 mg B/kg bw per day... in rats from mothers exposed to boron in their diet (Price et al., 1996).Based on decreased body weight and skeletal malformations in ratshigh
#P044unknownhealthguidanceAlternative Uncertainty Factor (Developmental)drinking waterrequirement60 dimensionlessUsing the BMDL05 of 10.6 mg/kg bw per day, and an appropriate uncertainty factor of 60 (6 for intraspecies differences, 10 for interspecies differences), would yield a TDI of 0.18 mg/kg bw per day.Used for alternative developmental health-based value calculationhigh

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