Getting to the Bottom of Borax: How Useful And Safe ?

Nearly every “green cleaning” site lists it as a wonder cleaner. Natural beauty books are rife with suggesting it as a hair softener. People put it in lotions all across the world.

But unfortunetly, It is learned that Boric acid and borax are not legal food additives, but there are still unscrupulous operators who do use it illegally. It is used to increase food elasticity, toughness, extend the shelf life or maintain a beautiful color. It is also seen as a addition to alkaline dumplings, (such as rice cakes, oil noodles). Food such as pork balls, fish plates and shrimp that are often used to "taste" often suffer.

After all this question arises, what effect borax and boric acid will have on the human body? Let us briefly review the structure of borax And characteristics, and its relationship with "boric acid."

Alkali dumplings are delicious food during the festival, but have been found to contain borax, boric acid residue.

Conversion between borax and boric acid

Borax is also known as sodium tetraborate, have a chemical formula Na2B4O7. It is a common boron-containing salts, the appearance of colorless crystals or white powder. Borax inhibits the growth of yeasts and molds and has been used as a preservative. It also inhibits tyrosinase and can prevent the oxidation of tyrosine to melanin. During recent years, it has been often abused to prevent shrimp from becoming black, change and maintain its beautiful color.

Borax is quite readily soluble in water, in which B4O72- anion and water molecules form the main protagonists ─ boric acid (H3BO3), and hydroxyl ions (OH-), which is alkaline. The boric acid molecules in the aqueous solution further combines with the hydroxide ions to produce the borate ions (B (OH) 4-). The "-OH groups" on both sides of the boronic acid molecules may also react with the -OH groups in long chain molecules. The formation of lumps reaction group, behaves as a bridge between the role of long chain, so that long-chain molecules can form a 3D network structure.

In similar way, borax is acidified to boric acid in acidic solutions such as sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid, but in this, borate ions are not formed due to the low concentration of hydroxide ions. In short, boric acid is a product of borax dissolved in water or combined with acid. So when borax and borax are reacted with food, borax and boric acid often remain, and after eating, the gastric juice becomes acidic. Borax will be converted to boric acid in the body.

Boron dissociates into ions of the intermediate anion B4O72-sodium aqueous solution (NA +), which forms an acid molecule and a hydroxide ion and water on the left side of the chemical formula. The picture shows borax ore.

Boric acid is inherently common

Boric acid is white transparent crystals or powder with a weak inorganic acid. It has a slippery feel and is resistant to cold water. However, it increases in temperature at 20 ° C and increases the solubility. It feels 1 liter of water. Boric acid is actually very common in nature: the water itself contains boric acid and other salts, such as the special volcanic areas of Italy (Tuscany) Tuscany and the Liparis Islands and Nevada USA ,you can find the traces of it. Sometimes boric acid coexists with boron-containing minerals such as borax dispersed in mineral structures.

The left picture shows the boric acid structure. The photo on the right shows Lipari volcano containing boric acid as smoke

In addition, the presence of boron is essential for the growth of plants. It can promote the growth and produce lignin roots. Lack of boron, causes the plant to become yellow or black. Even it can form the dysplasia of the leaf. These boron elements are often stored as "boric acid" in plants, especially fruit trees and fruits. Therefore, it is not unusual to ingest a small amount of boric acid. It can naturally replace in the body and does not harm your health.

Other boric acid applications: disinfection, pest control, buffer

Boric acid, In addition to the natural help of plant growth, is also used clinically as a disinfectant for the treatment of minor cuts and burns. Also used for the treatment of mold infections (such as candida or tinea pedis), in which it is commonly used as a dressing or ointment . The diluted solution of boric acid (up to a maximum of 3%) can be used as eye drops or for eyewash to relieve eye discomfort and is currently the only acid known to benefit the eye.

Boric acid , In addition, has the effect of killing common pests (borax also has the same effect). In that main mechanism is to corrode the exoskeleton of insects, and by eating the ways to affect their metabolism. In year 1948, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) used boric acid to control the amount of termites, cockroaches, red fire ants, cichlids and fleas. At the same time disinfecting and insecticidal properties, It is used as a wood preservative. some other uses of boric acid include: control of the rate of nuclear fission in nuclear power plants, in the processing of heat-resistant glass (borosilicate). Boric acid and its borate aqueous solution can be used as a pool of acid-base buffer.

Pest effect acid, EPA was used to control the number of ants, fleas and some worms.

Beware! Boric acid can not be added to food

Here we may think that boric acid is not bad! In addition to being natural itself, it can be still good helper for human life. However, then we also need to address it's proper usage. We also need to pay attention to boric acid toxicity.

Although boric acid itself is not so toxic, it has got a "cumulative effect" in the body. Although it does not accumulate in small amounts , boric acid may accumulate in the body after continuous ingestion. Due to this it may destroy the central and digestive system, impair the function of digestive enzymes, cause loss of appetite and inhibit mal-nutrition, Absorb and promote lipolysis, leading to weight loss and other symptoms. Additionally, studies of boric acid feeding in large mice, and dogs have also been observed. Prolonged or short-term ingestion of a large amount of boric acid or borax into the male reproductive system, such as pelvic atrophy. However, boric acid is not observed at the stage of the apparent carcinogenicity or gene mutation results.

Adult doses of 1 to 3 grams of boric acid can cause "boric acidosis" symptoms such as vomiting. Also diarrhea, erythema on the skin and, worse yet, shock or coma. Oral lethal doses are 15% 20 grams, 5 to 6 grams of children, and infants 2 to 3 grams.

It is worth knowing that, the International Food and Agriculture Organization of the Federation of Experts on Food Additives (referred to as FAO, WHO JECFA) considered that borax and boric acid are potentially harmful to human health and should not be used as food additives. The World Health Organization (WHO) Of the daily intake allowance (TDI) "is 0.16 mg/kg bw/day. This means daily intake of 0.16 mg per kilogram of body weight. At present, most of the countries in the world have banned on borax or boric acid as a food additive (although the European Union allows borax or boric acid as preservatives for caviar).

Conclusion

In addition to relying on the relevant units of the sampling test, the next time we buy the relevant food, we can try to pick and choose a complete package labeled food ingredients information products. Although a little more hard, but a little less risk on our lives.

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References for Text and Images:

• Borax vs Boric acid
• Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of boric acid and sodium tetraborate （borax） as food additives.
• Borax v Boric Acid for killing Cockroaches!
• Is borax the same as boric acid?
• Boric acid chemical compound

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