Talk:Sodium perborate

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[edit] Disputed

The article states, "Due to the negative environmental effect of waste [[borate]]s, sodium perborate is increasingly being replaced in some applications with [[sodium percarbonate]].." However, the boron article states that boron is an important soil nutrient and is often used is agriculture (source). Boron itself is insoluble in water and would be useless by itself as a fertillizer, a boron compound, like a borate, would have to be used. Also, the peroxide would rapidly oxidize organic matter and turn in to sodium borate, which is like sodium tetraborate or borax. Therefore, releasing PBS into the enviornment has the same impact as releasing borax. This seems to contradict the claim that PBS is harmful to the enviornment and is being replaced. Polonium 12:20, 17 April 2006 (UTC)

It is possible that borax might negativly impact soil quality. However, the quantities released are relativly small, and it goes into the water system and becomes very dilute. I cannot see how this addtion of dilute borax to water, with some already present naturally, would negativly impact soil quality. 72.139.119.165 19:32, 17 April 2006 (UTC)
Untill someone finds a good source for this information, I will remove it.
I think that the negative environmental effect probably refers to the ability of borates (like phosphates and nitrates) to cause algae blooms when released into bodies of water, which create oxygen-deficient dead zones when the algae dies and is decomposed (see eutrophication). This seems like the most likely way for borates to cause environmental harm, but we need a source. --71.227.190.111 00:32, 28 July 2006 (UTC)
  • William G. Woods (1994). "An Introduction to Boron: History, Sources, Uses, and Chemistry". Environmental Health Perspectives 102 Supplement 7 Health Effects of Boron: 5-11. doi:10.2307/3431956.  and the following articles might help.--Stone (talk) 13:53, 3 March 2008 (UTC)