Wood preservation facilities, inorganic boron (borate): chapter I-10
10. Environmental and Workplace Monitoring
10.1 Baseline Environmental Evaluation
Boron [B] is the element in disodium octaborate tetrahydrate that is used by convention to report ecological effects of borate products. It occurs naturally in rock, soils, and fresh and salt water (19). Table 24 presents natural background levels (6).
Considerable variability in natural concentrations of boron occurs in soils and waters. Therefore, it is important to determine background levels of the site immediately prior to operating a facility, to enable meaningful future assessments of pollution control at the facility. Older mills may not have this information available. A comparative site from a nearby property can be used as a reference.
10.2 Environmental Monitoring
Disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (boron) is measured in its oxidized form as boric acid in water.
Boron facilities have the potential to contaminate groundwater in the immediate vicinity of the facilities to levels that can pose a risk to aquatic organisms. Additional monitoring studies (such as surface water discharges, groundwater and contaminated soil) are recommended to properly assess the degree of such releases.
10.3 Workplace Exposure Monitoring
A monitoring program must be designed to ensure that there are adequate monitoring sites and that the frequency of monitoring and the detection limits of the preservation constituents, detection levels and quality control are defined. Worker health programs should be developed with provincial and/or local regulatory agencies in consultation with a provincial workers’ compensation board and/or department of labour and/or industrial physician/industrial hygienist. The NIOSH suggested measurement method for ambient air concentration is NIOSH 0500.
The appropriate components of a site and worker exposure monitoring program are contained in Section 10.2 of Part I, Chapter A - General Recommendations for All Wood Preservatives: Table 25 - Recommended Routine Environmental Monitoring and Table 26 - Recommended Routine Workplace Monitoring.