Volume 29, Issue 3 (Iran South Med J 2026)
Iran South Med J 2026, 29(3): 177-193 |
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Jokar Z, Najafi T, Aboosaedi Z, Arfaeinia H. Sources, Concentration Levels, Health Impacts, and Removal Technologies of Boron in Drinking Water: A Narrative Review. Iran South Med J 2026; 29 (3) :177-193
URL: http://ismj.bpums.ac.ir/article-1-2595-en.html
URL: http://ismj.bpums.ac.ir/article-1-2595-en.html
1- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health and Nutrition, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
Student Research Committe, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
2- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3- Addiction and Lifestyle Research Center, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran ,Arfaeiniah@bpums.ac.ir
Student Research Committe, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
2- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3- Addiction and Lifestyle Research Center, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran ,
Abstract: (9 Views)
Background: Safe drinking water is a fundamental requirement for maintaining and promoting public health. Boron is a trace element that is beneficial to the human body in small amounts; however, at high concentrations, it can exert toxic effects on the gastrointestinal tract, immune system, and reproductive system. Because conventional water treatment processes cannot effectively remove this element, this study aimed to provide a comprehensive review of boron, focusing on its emission sources, concentration levels in water resources, health consequences, and removal technologies.
Materials and Methods: This review study was conducted by searching Scopus and PubMed databases for relevant literature published up to June 29, 2025, without any starting time restriction. Following the initial identification of 232 articles using relevant keywords, inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, resulting in 33 articles selected for the final analysis.
Results: Boron emission sources are classified as either natural or anthropogenic, with human activities accounting for an estimated 90% of environmental pollution. Boron concentrations in water resources ranged from 0 to 21,000 µg/L, with the highest levels reported in groundwater and wells. The non-carcinogenic hazard quotient (HQ) exceeded the permissible threshold in several regions, including Turkey (up to 3.27), Iran (1.93), and China (> 1). Biological methods and surface adsorption using natural adsorbents were identified as green technologies, demonstrating removal efficiencies of 50–92%. For higher boron concentrations, advanced membrane processes, such as reverse osmosis (RO) and ion exchange resins proved more suitable, achieving efficiencies of up to 98.8%.
Conclusion: Effective management of boron pollution management requires continuous monitoring of high-risk areas, control of anthropogenic sources, and selection of appropriate removal technologies.
Materials and Methods: This review study was conducted by searching Scopus and PubMed databases for relevant literature published up to June 29, 2025, without any starting time restriction. Following the initial identification of 232 articles using relevant keywords, inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, resulting in 33 articles selected for the final analysis.
Results: Boron emission sources are classified as either natural or anthropogenic, with human activities accounting for an estimated 90% of environmental pollution. Boron concentrations in water resources ranged from 0 to 21,000 µg/L, with the highest levels reported in groundwater and wells. The non-carcinogenic hazard quotient (HQ) exceeded the permissible threshold in several regions, including Turkey (up to 3.27), Iran (1.93), and China (> 1). Biological methods and surface adsorption using natural adsorbents were identified as green technologies, demonstrating removal efficiencies of 50–92%. For higher boron concentrations, advanced membrane processes, such as reverse osmosis (RO) and ion exchange resins proved more suitable, achieving efficiencies of up to 98.8%.
Conclusion: Effective management of boron pollution management requires continuous monitoring of high-risk areas, control of anthropogenic sources, and selection of appropriate removal technologies.
Keywords: Boron element, Drinking water, Water treatment technologies, Non-carcinogenic risk, Health risk assessment
Original: Review |
Subject:
Environmental Health
Received: 2026/02/16 | Accepted: 2026/07/20 | Published: 2026/08/23
Received: 2026/02/16 | Accepted: 2026/07/20 | Published: 2026/08/23
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