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Background: Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a nuclear reaction-based tumor cell-selective particle irradiation method. High-dose methotrexate and whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) are the recommended treatments for primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). This tumor responds well to initial treatment but relapses even after successful treatment, and the prognosis is poor as there is no safe and effective treatment for relapse. In this study, we aimed to conduct basic research to explore the possibility of using BNCT as a treatment for PCNSL., Methods: The boron concentration in human lymphoma cells was measured. Subsequently, neutron irradiation experiments on lymphoma cells were conducted. A mouse central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma model was created to evaluate the biodistribution of boron after the administration of borono-phenylalanine as a capture agent. In the neutron irradiation study of a mouse PCNSL model, the therapeutic effect of BNCT on PCNSL was evaluated in terms of survival., Results: The boron uptake capability of human lymphoma cells was sufficiently high both in vitro and in vivo. In the neutron irradiation study, the BNCT group showed a higher cell killing effect and prolonged survival compared with the control group., Conclusions: A new therapeutic approach for PCNSL is urgently required, and BNCT may be a promising treatment for PCNSL. The results of this study, including those of neutron irradiation, suggest success in the conduct of future clinical trials to explore the possibility of BNCT as a new treatment option for PCNSL.

In this study, a chitosan hydrogel supported with ceria (labelled Ce-CTS) was prepared by an encapsulation technique and used for the efficient removal of excess B(III) from aqueous solutions. The functionalisation of chitosan with Ce(IV) and the improvement in the adsorptive behaviour of the hydrogel were determined by SEM-EDS, FTIR, XRD, and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES) analyses and discussed. The results demonstrate that Ce-CTS removes boric acid from aqueous solutions more efficiently than either cerium dioxide hydrate or raw chitosan beads, the precursors of the Ce-CTS biosorbent. The maximum adsorption capacity of 13.5 ± 0.9 mg/g was achieved at pH 7 after 24 h. The equilibrium data of boron adsorption on Ce-CTS fitted the Freundlich isotherm model, while the kinetic data followed the Elovich pseudo-second-order model, which indicated that the process was non-homogeneous. The dominant mechanism of removal was the reaction between boric acid molecules and hydroxyl groups bound to the ceria chelated by chitosan active centres. Due to its high efficiency in removing boron, good regeneration capacity and convenient form, Ce-CTS may be considered a promising biosorbent in water purification., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Boron removal from water environment is a critical issue for scientific spotlight because its removal from wastewater is difficult and costly with conventional treatment method. Herein, an innovative, cost effective and attractive method which depends on duckweed-based wastewater treatment systems coupled with microbial fuel cell reactor (DWWT-MFC) was investigated for B-polluted domestic wastewater treatment and simultaneous electricity generation for the first time in an eco-technological study. Lemna gibba L. was selected as a model duckweed species, and different reactors were also designed to identify which mechanisms are dominant for B removal in a DWWT-MFC reactor matrix. DWWT-MFC reactor achieved 71% B removal in experiment period, and the plant effect on B removal mechanisms in the reactor matrix was recorded as 37.7 ± 4.92% (F = 2.543, p < 0.05). However, supplementary aeration and microbial effects on B removal were determined as negligible. Average maximum voltage output was found as 1.47 V, and maximum power density was 34.8 mW/m 2 at a current density of 43.9 mA/m 2 with supplementary aeration. Moreover, DWWT-MFC reactor achieved 84%, 81% and 76% of COD, NH 4 + and PO 4 3- removal efficiencies, respectively. Moreover, L. gibba grew well in the anode chamber of DWWT-MFC with an average biomass yield of 218 ± 43 g/m 2 and a total chlorophyll (a+b) concentration of 30.2 mg g -1 , which indicates that anolyte environment was not toxic for L. gibba growth. Consequently, it can be suggested that environmental experts may use DWWT-MFC as an efficient removal method to treat B from domestic wastewater and to produce bioelectricity., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Boron (B) pollution is an expanding environmental problem throughout the world due to intensive mining practices and extensive usage of B in agricultural chemicals and industrial products in recent years. The purpose of this study was to investigate B removal performance of four poplar and four willow species in small scale Constructed Wetland (CW). Rooted cuttings of tested species were treated with simulated wastewater having five elevated B concentrations (0.5, 5, 10, 20 and 40 ppm). All the tested species could resist up to 20 ppm wastewater B supply and could regrow from their roots in the soil having maximum 15 mg/kg B content. The result of the study indicated that 65% ± 5.3 of B was removed from the wastewater in 5 ppm B treatment while the same efficiency decreased to 45% ± 4.6 at 40 ppm B supply. The average effect of sediment on B removal was found to be approximately 20% for all B treatments while the remaining part of the loaded B was removed from the CW within effluent (35-54%). Therefore, actual effects of plant species on B removal was ranged from 45% to 25% between 5 and 40 ppm B treatments. Mass B removal within plant body (phytextraction) comprised the 13-10% of total loaded B in CW while the remaining part of the loaded B (31-15%) was stabilized into the sediment with the effects of poplar and willow roots. These results presented clear understanding of effective B purification mechanisms in CWs. Boron phytextraction capacity of a plant species was less effective than its phytstabilization efficiency which increase filtering capacity of the sediment and stabilization of more B around the rhizosphere. In terms of their B removal ability, P.nigra and S.anatolica had the highest B removal capacities with phytextraction (20-11%) while S.alba, P.alba and S.babylonica had more phytstabilizaiton performance (40-15%) in CW. Disposal of B loaded plant material create another environmental costs for CW applications. Therefore, B loaded wood and leaf tissues were mixed and used for production of wooden panels in the study. Then a combustion test was applied on these panels to test their fire resistance. The results of the tests revealed much higher burning tolerance of the B loaded panels (5-20%) compared to controls. Annual harvesting, fast growing and deep rooting ability of the poplar and willow species with their high phytstabilization and phytextraction efficiencies make these species excellent tools to remove B from the polluted waters. Utilization of these species for B removal in large scale CWs is quite possible which should be also investigated in further studies., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study investigated the use of eggshell membrane (ESM) as a bio-sorbent and the effect of temperature, pH, and initial concentration on its efficiency. Furthermore, by altering the chemical composition, modified eggshell membrane (MESM) was prepared, and its efficiency was compared with the ESM. Results showed that the adsorption of boron preferred an acidic condition; pH 6 at 35 °C. In addition, the positive value of ΔH° suggested that the reaction favored endothermic pathway, while the negative value for ΔG° further suggested that the adsorption process was spontaneous. Furthermore, the ESM could adsorb 97% of boron, while MESM was able to adsorb 95%. From the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), different functional groups were recorded on the surface of the ESM and MESM, and they played key role in the boron adsorption mechanisms. Linear Freundlich model was suggested to best describe the experimental data with 99.4% correlation coefficient., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The metalloid boron (B) and its compounds widely exist in the environment, and boron can have hazardous effects on plants, animals, and human beings when it is found in high concentrations in water bodies. It is difficult and costly to remove B with conventional treatment methods from drinking water. Therefore, alternative and cost-effective treatment techniques are necessary. In this study, for the first time, a novel and environmentally friendly method based on the phytoremediation ability of chitosan and duckweed (Lemna gibba L.) combination was evaluated for B removal from drinking water. Our results from batch adsorption experiment indicated that the highest B uptake capacity of chitosan bead was found as 3.18 mg/g, and we determined the optimal B sorption occurs at pH value of 7. The Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic model better fitted the equilibrium obtained for B removal. B in drinking water could be reduced to less than 2.4 mg L -1 when 0.05 g of plant-based chitosan beads and 12 L. gibba fronds were used in the 4-day treatment period.

One promising water management strategy during hydraulic fracturing is treatment and reuse of flowback/produced water. In particular, the saline flowback water contains many of the chemicals employed for fracking, which need to be removed before possible reuse as "frac water." This manuscript targets turbidity along with one of the additives; borate-based cross-linkers used to adjust the rheological characteristics of the frac-fluid. Alum and ferric chloride were evaluated as coagulants for clarification and boron removal from saline flowback water obtained from a well in the Eagle Ford shale. Extremely high dosages (> 9000 mg/L or 333 mM Al and 160 mM Fe) corresponding to Al/B and Fe/B mass ratios of ∼70 and molar ratios of ∼28 and 13 respectively were necessary to remove ∼80% boron. Hence, coagulation does not appear to be feasible for boron removal from high-strength waste streams. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed BO bonding on surfaces of freshly precipitated Al(OH) 3 (am) and Fe(OH) 3 (am) suggesting boron uptake was predominantly via ligand exchange. Attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy provided direct evidence of inner-sphere boron complexation with surface hydroxyl groups on both amorphous aluminum and iron hydroxides. Only trigonal boron was detected on aluminum flocs since possible presence of tetrahedral boron was masked by severe AlO interferences. Both trigonal and tetrahedral conformation of boron complexes were identified on Fe(OH) 3 surfaces., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Wetland mesocosms were constructed to assess two hybrid poplar clones (Populustrichocarpa×P. deltoides×P. nigra '345-1' and '347-14') for treating saline water high in boron (B) and selenium (Se), and a hydroponic experiment was performed to test the B tolerance and B accumulation in both clones. In the mesocosm experiment, clone 345-1 exhibited no toxic symptoms at an EC of 10mScm -1 , while clone 347-14 showed slight toxic symptoms at 7.5mScm -1 . The removal percentages of B, Se, sodium (Na), and chloride (Cl) ranged from 26.7-45.6%, 50-69.4%, 18.4-24.0%, and 15.8-23.2%, respectively, by clone 345-1, and from 22.9-29.4%, 31.7-43.8%, 16.5-24.2%, and 14.9-23.9%, respectively, by clone 347-1. In the hydroponic experiment, B toxic symptoms were observed at treatments of 150 and 200mg B L -1 for clones 345-1 and 347-14, respectively. The greatest leaf B concentrations of 3699 and 1913mgkg -1 were found in clone 345-1 and clone 347-14, respectively. The translocation factor (TF) of clone 347-14 was less than clone 345-1. Clone 345-1 only showed significantly greater (P<0.05) B removal percentages than clone 347-14 when B treatment was <20mg B L -1 . In conclusion, both tested poplar clones competitively accumulated and removed B and Se in constructed wetlands., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Boron exists in various types of water environments, and it is difficult and costly to remove B with conventional treatment methods from drinking water. Clearly, alternative and cost effective treatment techniques are imperative. In the present study, an innovative and environment friendly method based on hybrid systems consisting of various chitosan composite beads and Lemna gibba were evaluated for removal of B from drinking water. Our results from batch adsorption experiment indicated that a plant-based chitosan composite bead has a higher capacity of B removal than mineral-based chitosan composite beads. Almost 50% of total B removal was achieved using the hybrid system based on dried Lemna-chitosan composite beads and Lemna gibba combination in 4 days. Even at the high B concentration (8mgBL -1 ), B in drinking water could be reduced to less than 2.4mgL -1 when 0.05g plant-based chitosan composite beads and 12 Lemna fronds were used for 50mL test solution., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Mg-Al layered double hydroxide intercalated with NO 3 - and Mg-Al oxide were found to remove hazardous materials such as B and As, as well as Cl - and SO 4 2- , from artificial and real hot spring wastewater. However, compared with the mixture of Al 2 (SO 4 ) 3 and Ca(OH) 2 , both adsorbents were inferior for the removal of B from real hot spring wastewater. Both adsorbents were also found to remove F - and PO 4 3- from artificial semiconductor plant wastewater. Both adsorbents have the same ability to remove B from landfill wastewater as the mixture of Al 2 (SO 4 ) 3 and Ca(OH) 2 ; furthermore, both remove Cl - , Br - , and SO 4 2- . The benefit of Mg-Al layered double hydroxide intercalated with NO 3 - is that it does not require neutralization after the treatment. Overall, it can be stated that among the materials tested, Mg-Al layered double hydroxide intercalated with NO 3 - is the most suitable adsorbent for the treatment of hot spring and landfill wastewater., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The electrocoagulation (EC) using metallic Ni foam as electrodes was studied for the removal of boron from solution. The electrolytic parameters were pH (4-12), current density (0.6-2.5 mA cm -2 ), and initial concentration of boron (10-100 mg L -1 ). Experimental results revealed that removal efficiency was maximized at pH 8-9, and decreased as the pH increased beyond that range. At particular onset potentials (0.5-0.8 V vs. Hg/HgO), the micro-granular nickel oxide that was created on the surface of the nickel metal substrate depended on pH, as determined by cyclic voltammetry. Most of the crystallites of the precipitates comprised a mixed phase of β-Ni(OH) 2 , a theophrastite phase, and NiOOH, as revealed by XRD and SEM analyses. A current density of 1.25 mA cm -2 was effective in the EC of boron, and increasing the concentration of boric acid from 10 to 100 mg L -1 did not greatly impair removal efficiency. A kinetic investigation revealed that the reaction followed a pseudo-second order rate model. The optimal conditions under which 99.2% of boron was removed from treated wastewater with 10 mg L -1 -B, leaving less than 0.1 mg L -1 -B in the electrolyte, were pH 8 and 1.25 mA cm -2 for 120 min., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Porous magnetic hybrids were synthesized and functionalized with glycidol to produce boron-selective adsorbent. The magnetic hybrid (MH) comparatively out-performed the existing expensive adsorbents. MH had a saturation magnetisation of 63.48 emu/g and average pore diameter ranging from meso to macropores. The magnetic hybrids showed excellent selectivity towards boron and resulted in 79-93% boron removal even in the presence of competing metal ions (Na + and Cr 2+ ). Experiments were performed in a column system, and breakthrough time was observed to increase with bed depths and decreased with flow rates. The batch experiments revealed that 60 min was enough to achieve equilibrium, and the level of boron sorption was 108.5 mg/g from a synthetic solution. Several adsorption-desorption cycles were performed using a simple acid-water treatment and evaluated using various kinetic models. The spent adsorbents could be separated easily from the mixture by an external magnetic field. The cost-benefit analysis was performed for the treatment of 72 m 3 /year boron effluent, including five years straight line depreciation charges of equipment. The net profit and standard percentage confirmed that the recovery process is economically feasible., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Using the carminic acid assay, we determined the concentration of boron in oilfield waters. We investigated the effect of high concentrations of salts and dissolved metals on the assay performance. The influence of temperature, development time, reagent concentration, and water volume was studied. Ten produced and flowback water samples of different origins were measured, and the method was successfully validated against ICP-MS measurements. In water-stressed regions, produced water is a potential source of fresh water for irrigation, industrial applications, or consumption. Therefore, boron concentration must be determined and controlled to match the envisaged waste water reuse. Fast, precise, and onsite measurements are needed to minimize errors introduced by sample transportation to laboratories. We found that the optimum conditions for our application were a 5:1 mixing volume ratio (reagent to sample), a 1 g L(-1) carminic acid concentration in 99.99% sulfuric acid, and a 30 min reaction time at ambient temperature (20 °C to 23 °C). Absorption values were best measured at 610 nm and 630 nm and baseline corrected at 865 nm. Under these conditions, the sensitivity of the assay to boron was maximized while its cross-sensitivity to dissolved titanium, iron, barium and zirconium was minimized, alleviating the need for masking agents and extraction methods., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Recovery of resources, in particular, metals, from waste flows is widely seen as a prioritized option to reduce their potential supply constraints in the future. The current waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) treatment system is more focused on bulk metals, where the recycling rate of specialty metals, such as rare earths, is negligible compared to their increasing use in modern products, such as electronics. This study investigates the challenges in recovering these resources in the existing WEEE treatment system. It is illustrated by following the material flows of resources in a conventional WEEE treatment plant in Denmark. Computer hard disk drives (HDDs) containing neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets were selected as the case product for this experiment. The resulting output fractions were tracked until their final treatment in order to estimate the recovery potential of rare earth elements (REEs) and other resources contained in HDDs. The results further show that out of the 244 kg of HDDs treated, 212 kg comprising mainly of aluminum and steel can be finally recovered from the metallurgic process. The results further demonstrate the complete loss of REEs in the existing shredding-based WEEE treatment processes. Dismantling and separate processing of NdFeB magnets from their end-use products can be a more preferred option over shredding. However, it remains a technological and logistic challenge for the existing system.

In this study boron removal capacities of different microorganisms were tested. Candida tropicalis, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Micrococcus luteus, Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus pumilus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Aspergillus versicolor were examined for their boron bioaccumulation capacities in simulated municipal wastewater. A. versicolor and B. cereus were found as the most boron-tolerant microorganisms in the experiments. Also boron bioaccumulation yield of A. versicolor was 49.25% at 15 mg/L boron concentration. On the other hand biosorption experiments revealed that A. versicolor was more capable of boron removal in inactive form at the highest boron concentrations. In this paper maximum boron bioaccumulation yield was detected as 39.08% at 24.17 mg/L and the maximum boron biosorption yield was detected as 41.36% at 24.01 mg/L boron concentrations.

Various chemical models of ion adsorption are presented and discussed. Chemical models, such as surface complexation models, provide a molecular description of anion adsorption reactions using an equilibrium approach. Two such models, the constant capacitance model and the triple layer model, are described in the present study. Characteristics common to all the surface complexation models are equilibrium constant expressions, mass and charge balances, and surface activity coefficient electrostatic potential terms. Methods for determining parameter values for surface site density, capacitances, and surface complexation constants also are discussed. Spectroscopic experimental methods of establishing ion adsorption mechanisms include vibrational spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, electron spin resonance spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and X-ray reflectivity. Experimental determinations of point of zero charge shifts and ionic strength dependence of adsorption results and molecular modeling calculations also can be used to deduce adsorption mechanisms. Applications of the surface complexation models to heterogeneous natural materials, such as soils, using the component additivity and the generalized composite approaches are described. Emphasis is on the generalized composite approach for predicting anion adsorption by soils. Continuing research is needed to develop consistent and realistic protocols for describing ion adsorption reactions on soil minerals and soils. The availability of standardized model parameter databases for use in chemical speciation-transport models is critical., (Published 2014 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US Government work and as such, is in the public domain in the in the United States of America.)

Chemical oxo-precipitation (COP), which combines treatment with an oxidant and precipitation using metal salts, was developed for treating boron-containing water under milder conditions (room temperature, pH 10) than those of conventional coagulation processes. The concentration of boron compounds was 1000mg-BL(-1). They included boric acid (H3BO3) and perborate (NaBO3). Precipitation using calcium chloride eliminated 80% of the boron from the perborate solution, but was unable to treat boric acid. COP uses hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to pretreat boric acid, substantially increasing the removal of boron from boric acid solution by chemical precipitation from less than 5% to 80%. Furthermore, of alkaline earth metals, barium ions are the most efficient precipitant, and can increase the 80% boron removal to 98.5% at [H2O2]/[B] and [Ba]/[B] molar ratios of 2 and 1, respectively. The residual boron in the end water of COP contained 15ppm-B: this value cannot be achieved using conventional coagulation processes., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This work investigated the removal of boron from wastewater and its recovery by electrocoagulation and hydrothermal mineralization methods respectively. The experimental design was developed using Box-Behnken Model. An initial study was performed based on four preselected variables (pH, current density, concentration and time) using synthetic wastewater. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to evaluate the effect of process variables and their interaction on boron removal. The optimum conditions were obtained as pH 6.3, current density 17.4 mA/cm(2), and time 89 min. At these applied optimum conditions, 99.7% boron removal from an initial concentration of 10.4 mg/L was achieved. The process was effectively optimized by RSM with a desirability value of 1.0. The results showed that boron removal efficiency enhanced with increase in current density and treatment time. Removal efficiency also increased when pH was increased from 4 to 7 and subsequently decreased at pH 10. Adsorption kinetics study revealed that the reaction followed pseudo second order kinetic model; evidenced by high correlation and goodness of fit. Thermodynamics study showed that mechanism of boron adsorption was chemisorption and the reaction was endothermic in nature. Furthermore, the adsorption process was spontaneous as indicated by negative values of the adsorption free energy. Treatment of real produced water using electrocoagulation resulted in 98% boron removal. The hydrothermal mineralization study showed that borate minerals (Inyoite, Takadaite and Nifontovite) can be recovered as recyclable precipitate from electrocoagulation flocs of produced water., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A new adsorbent based on natural clinoptilolite and amorphous zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) was prepared for the uptake of boron from fresh water. The sorption behaviour of this adsorbent for boron was investigated using a batch system and found to obey Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) isotherm models. The ZrO2 loading level, pH, temperature, contact time, initial boron concentration and adsorbent dose, on the removal of boron were studied. It was found that the removal of boron increased while the adsorbent dose increased and the temperature decreased at an optimum pH (pH = 8) and a contact time of 30 min. At optimum conditions, the maximum boron percentage removal was 75%. According to the D-R model, the maximum capacity was estimated to be > 3 mg B/g of the adsorbent. The adsorption energy value (calculated as 9.13 kJ/mol) indicated that the adsorption of boron on clinoptilolite modified with ZrO2 was physical in nature. The parameters of the adsorption models and the pH investigations pointed to the possibility of a chemisorption process. The thermodynamic parameters (standard entropy deltaS degrees, enthalpy deltaH degrees , and free energy deltaG degrees changes) of boron adsorption were also calculated. The negative value of deltaS degrees indicated a decreased randomness at the solid-solution interface during the boron adsorption. Negative values of deltaH degrees showed the exothermic nature of the process. The negative values of deltaG degrees implied that the adsorption of boron on clinoptilolite modified with amorphous ZrO2 at 25 degrees C was spontaneous. It was considered that boron dissolved in water had been adsorbed both physically and chemically on clinoptilolite modified with 30% ZrO2.

Glucaminium-based ionic liquids are a new class of solvents capable of extracting boron-species from water with high efficiency. The complexation behavior of these ILs with borate was thoroughly studied using (11)B NMR. Two different complexes, namely, monochelate complex and bischelate complex, were observed. (11)B NMR was used extensively to determine the formation constants for monochelate and bischelate complexes. The IL concentration was observed to have a significant effect on the IL-borate complexes. Using an in situ dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (in situ DLLME) method, the extraction efficiency for boron species was increased dramatically when lithium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide (LiNTf(2)) was used as the metathesis salt in an aqueous solution containing 0.1M sodium chloride. IL regeneration after extraction was achieved using 0.1M hydrochloric acid. The extraction efficiency of boron species was consistent when the IL was employed after three regeneration cycles. The selectivity of the IL for boron species in synthetic seawater samples was similar to performing the same extraction from Milli-Q water samples., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The objective of this study is to further develop previously reported mechanistic predictive model that simulates boron removal in full-scale seawater reverse osmosis (RO) desalination processes to take into account the effect of membrane fouling. Decrease of boron removal and reduction in water production rate by membrane fouling due to enhanced concentration polarization were simulated as a decrease in solute mass transfer coefficient in boundary layer on membrane surface. Various design and operating options under fouling condition were examined including single- versus double-pass configurations, different number of RO elements per vessel, use of RO membranes with enhanced boron rejection, and pH adjustment. These options were quantitatively compared by normalizing the performance of the system in terms of E(min), the minimum energy costs per product water. Simulation results suggested that most viable options to enhance boron rejection among those tested in this study include: i) minimizing fouling, ii) exchanging the existing SWRO elements to boron-specific ones, and iii) increasing pH in the second pass. The model developed in this study is expected to help design and optimization of the RO processes to achieve the target boron removal at target water recovery under realistic conditions where membrane fouling occurs during operation., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Novel salicyl alcohol derivatives (H(2)X(n)sal), 5-bromo-, 3,5-dibromo-, and 3,5-diiodosalicyl alcohol which were abbreviated to H(2)Brsal, H(2)Br(2)sal, and H(2)I(2)sal, respectively, were synthesized and used for the selective extraction of boric acid. Boric acid was extracted with each H(2)X(n)sal into chlorobenzene containing trioctylmethylammonium chloride (TOMACl) as an ion-pair complex, TOMA·B(X(n)sal)(2), at a different pH range. The extraction constant (K(ex)) of boric acid was determined by the equilibrium analyses including the formation of hydrogen-bonded complex of each H(2)X(n)sal with TOMACl in the organic phase. The K(ex) values obtained by salicyl alcohol (H(2)sal) and its derivatives were decreased in the order of H(2)I(2)sal ≥ H(2)Br(2)sal > H(2)Brsal > H(2)sal. The most powerful extractant, H(2)I(2)sal, was employed for the substoichiometric extraction of boric acid, which was extracted at pH 5 - 9 with a substoichiometric amount of TOMACl in the presence of an excess of H(2)I(2)sal. The present substoichiometric separation method combined with the stable isotope dilution analysis using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) could be successfully applied to the determination of boron in a reference material of high-analysis compound fertilizer (FAMIC-A-08) without any correction as to the isotopic abundance.

It has been well documented that excess concentrations of boron (B) causes toxic effects on many of the environmental systems. Although Chlorella sp. has been studied to remove pollutants from water, its capacity to remove B has not been investigated yet. Boron removal levels of newly isolated Chlorella sp. were investigated in BG 11 media with stimulators as triacontanol (TRIA) and/or sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO(3)) and without them, to test if they could increase the removal efficiency by increasing biomass. The assays were performed to determine the effect of different medial compositions, B concentrations, pH and biomass concentrations onto removal efficiency. Boron removal was investigated at 5-10 mg/L range at pH 8 in different medial compositions and maximum removal yield was found as 32.95% at 5.45 mg/L B in media with TRIA and NaHCO(3). The effect of different pH values on the maximum removal yield was investigated at pH 5-9, and the optimum pH was found again 8. The interactive effect of biomass concentration and B removal yield was also investigated at 0.386-1.061 g wet weight/L biomass. The highest removal yield was found as 38.03% at the highest biomass range. This study highlights the importance of using new isolate Chlorella sp. as a new biomaterial for B removal process of waters containing B., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Boron is an essential nutrient for animals and plants, but it can be harmful in excessive levels. In this study, three types of crushed shells (oyster, hard clam and freshwater clam) were pretreated and then reused as mineralizers to remove and recover the boron from concentrated wastewater by using the microwave hydrothermal method. Chemical and physical properties of raw and pretreated crushed shells were determined and compared using SEM, XRD, BET and WD-XRF. Effects of pretreatment method (heated or pyrolysis), particle sizes, initial boron concentrations, reaction times and shells dosages on boron recovery were investigated. The oyster shells pretreated by heat performed better than heated hard clam and freshwater clam shells, and the boron recovery efficiency reached around 95% within 10 min of reaction time. The experimental results indicate that the pretreated oyster shell is an effective mineralizer for removal and recovery of boron from concentrated wastewater., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A novel boron adsorbent was fabricated by grafting a boric acid chelating group, i.e., N-methyl-D-glucamine, onto the hydrophilic silica-polyallylamine composites (SPC). The boron adsorbent was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and TGA method. The adsorption experiment indicated a maximum boron load capacity of ca. 1.55 mmol g(-1). The high load capacity was attributed to specific chemical affinity and physical adsorption. Highly effective removal of boric acid from aqueous solution was observed for the adsorbent even in the synthetic seawater containing high concentration of foreign ions. Analysis of adsorption thermodynamic and kinetics revealed a spontaneous sorption process that is driven by enthalpy change and limited by chemical reaction. The exhausted adsorbent was regenerated for repeated use by treating with 3% HCl solution, followed by neutralizing with 3% NH(3)·H(2)O at ambient temperature. Only 7% capacity loss was observed after five continuous adsorption-regeneration cycles., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A tannin gel (TG) synthesized from condensed tannin molecules has a remarkable ability to adsorb various metal ions in aqueous solutions. In the present study, the adsorption removal of boron in solutions at various pHs and temperatures has been examined using the TG and the amine-modified tannin gel (ATG) prepared with ammonia treatment of the TG. The adsorption amounts of boron for the TG and the ATG were relatively small and almost constant below pH 7, whereas the boron adsorption amounts increased with increasing pH in the range of pH above 7. Considering that in aqueous solutions above pH 7, the mole fraction of boric acid decreases while that of tetrahydroxyborate ion increases with increasing pH, the boron adsorption onto both gels takes place probably through the chelate formation of tetrahydroxyborate ion with the hydroxy and the amino groups in the gels. Besides, the adsorbability of the ATG for boron was higher than that of the TG due to the stable coordination bond between boron and nitrogen of the amino group in the ATG. The adsorption kinetics were adequately described by the pseudo-second order kinetic equation while the adsorption isotherms followed both the Langmuir and the Freundlich equations. The boron adsorbability of both the TG and the ATG at low boron concentration were comparable or fairly good compared with other adsorbents., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this study, an adsorptive membrane was prepared for efficient boron removal. Poly(glycidyl methacrylate) was grafted on the surfaces of the regenerated cellulose (RC) membrane via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization, and N-methylglucamine was used to further react with epoxide rings to introduce polyhydroxyl functional groups, which served as the major binding sites for boron. The pristine and modified membranes were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), dynamic water contact angle measurement, and scanning electron microscopy. It was shown that the designed functional groups were successfully grafted onto the RC membrane, and surface modification contributed to higher boron binding capability. The optimal pH range for boron adsorption was 4-8. Under a neutral pH condition, the maximum adsorption capacity of the modified membrane was determined to be 0.75 mmol/g, which was comparable with those of commercial resins. Studies of electrolyte influence indicated the formation of inner-sphere surface complexes on the membrane surface. The ATR-FTIR and XPS analyses showed that secondary alcohol and tertiary amine groups were mainly involved in boron adsorption, and tetrahedral boron complexes were found on the membrane surface.

Boron can pose adverse effects on human beings and plants species. It exists in various water environments and is difficult to be removed by conventional technologies. In this study, an efficient and environmental friendly sorbent was fabricated by the functionalization of a natural biopolymer, chitosan, with N-methylglucamine through atom transfer radical polymerization. The SEM and BET studies revealed that the sorbent had a rougher surface and a more porous structure than the chitosan. At the optimum neutral pH, the maximum sorption capacity was as high as 3.25 mmol/g, much higher than the commercial boron selective resins (e.g., Amberlite IRA-743) and many other synthesized sorbents. Almost 90% of boron sorption occurred within 8 h and the equilibrium was established in 12 h, which was well described by an intraparticle surface diffusion model. The presence of sodium chloride and sodium nitrate had no effect on the boron removal. The boron concentration in seawater could be reduced to less than 0.5 mg/L from 4.8 mg/L when a sorbent dosage of 1.2 g/L was used. It was therefore concluded that the sorption technology from this study could be promising for boron removal from aqueous solutions., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Boron compounds are widely-used raw materials in industries. However, elevated boron concentrations in aqueous systems may be harmful to human and plants. In this study, calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)(2)) alone and Ca(OH)(2) with phosphoric acid (H(3)PO(4)) addition (P-addition) were used to remove and recover boron from wastewater using hydrothermal methods. A microwave (MW) hydrothermal method was used and compared with the conventional heating (CH) method in batch experiments. Physicochemical properties of the precipitates obtained from both methods were analysed by XRD, SEM with EDX and BET. For the case of Ca(OH)(2) alone and the MW method, experimental results showed that boron recovery efficiency reached 90% within 10 min, and crystals of Ca(2)B(2)O(5)·H(2)O were found in the precipitates as indicated by the XRD analysis. For the case of P-addition and the MW method, boron recovery efficiency reached 99% within 10 min, and calcium phosphate species (CaHPO(4)·H(2)O, CaHPO(4) and Ca(10)(PO(4))(6)(OH)(2)) were formed. The experimental results of this study indicate that the required reaction time of the MW method was much less than that of the CH method, and the MW method is an effective and efficient method for boron removal and recovery from concentrated wastewater., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The removal of boron from aqueous solution by direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) was studied with self-prepared polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) hollow fiber membranes in the present work. The effect of pH, boron concentration, temperature and salt concentration of the feed solution on the boron rejection was investigated. The experimental results indicated that boron rejection was less dependent on the feed pH and salt concentration. DCMD process had high boron removal efficiency (>99.8%) and the permeate boron was below the maximum permissible level even at feed concentration as high as 750 mg/L. Although the permeate flux was enhanced exponentially with the feed temperature increasing, the influence of feed temperature on the boron rejection could be neglected. Finally, the natural groundwater sample containing 12.7 mg/L of boron was treated by DCMD process. The permeate boron kept below 20 microg/L whether the feed was acidified or not, but pre-acidification was helpful to maintain the permeate flux stability. All the experimental results indicated that DCMD could be efficiently used for boron removal from aqueous solution., (Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A two-step process for boron recovery from clay waste is proposed in the present work. The leachate obtained after the clay waste was leached with sulphuric acid solution was treated with Diaion CRB-02 - a boron-specific resin for the separation of boron from the alkaline species in the leachate. The batch studies showed that a maximum boron recovery of about 95% was obtained at a pH value of 8.0, an initial boron concentration of 50 mg L(-1), a contact time of 24 h and a temperature of 25 degrees C. Equilibrium sorption data fitted the Langmuir isotherm. Column studies were carried out using different inlet boron concentrations and flow rates at a pH value of 8.0 and a temperature of 25 degrees C. The Yoon-Nelson and Thomas models were used to describe the dynamic behaviour of the column and to determine the column kinetic parameters. By these models and graphical integration, the column capacity values were found to be 7.3-8.5 mg g(-1) and 7.1-8.5 mg g(-1), respectively, and the 50% breakthrough time values were found to be 21-155 min and 19-149 min, respectively, depending on the inlet concentration and flow rate. It was observed that about 76% of the boron in the leachate solution could be recovered at an inlet boron concentration of 250 mg L(-1), a flow rate of 2.5 mL min(-1), a pH value of 8.0 and a temperature of 25 degrees C.

Boron is widely distributed in the environment, mainly in the form of boric acid or borate salts, and its contamination of waters is a concern around the world. This study focuses on boron removal by means of adsorption onto activated alumina. Optimum adsorption was achieved in the pH range 8.0 to 8.5. Approximately 60% (by mass) boron removal was achieved using an adsorbent dose of 5 g at an initial boron concentration of 50 mg/L. Adsorption isotherms at 10, 20, and 30 degrees C were investigated. The results fitted with the Langmuir and Freundlich equations showed a monolayer adsorption onto a surface, with a finite number of identical sites. To study the rate-limiting step, the adsorption kinetic data of boron were analyzed using first-order (Lagergren) and second-order kinetic models. The experimental results obtained showed that the adsorption process followed a second-order kinetic model.

In the present paper, boron removal from aqueous solutions by batch adsorption was investigated and 2(3) full factorial design was applied. Calcined alunite was used as adsorbent. In the study, three parameters affected the performance and two levels of these parameters were investigated. The chosen parameters were temperature (25 and 45 degrees C, respectively), pH (3 and 10) and mass of adsorbent (0.5 g adsorbent per 25 mL solution and 1g adsorbent per 25 mL solution). The significance of the effects was checked by analysis of variance (statistical software, MINITAB-Version 15). The model-function equation for boron adsorption on calcined alunite was obtained. The results showed that temperature, pH and mass of adsorbent affected boron removal by adsorption. Boron removal increased with increasing pH and adsorbent dosage, but decreased with increasing temperature. The optimum conditions were found as pH 10, adsorbent dosage=1g of calcined alunite per 25 mL solution and temperature=25 degrees C by using factorial design. In addition, the effects of parameters such as calcination temperature, pH, temperature, adsorbent dosage and initial boron concentration on boron removal were investigated. The adsorption isotherm studies were also performed. Maximum adsorbent capacity (q(0)) was calculated as 3.39 mg/g. Thermodynamic parameters such as change in free energy (DeltaG degrees), enthalpy (DeltaH degrees) and entropy (DeltaS degrees) were also determined.

Fly ash has a high content of plant available silicate which is strongly needed for rice cultivation in Korea. One concern for plants grown on soils amended with fly ash is boron (B) toxicity because most of the fresh fly ash contains considerable B. This study was conducted in paddy soil to determine B uptake by rice and characteristics of B accumulation in soil after fly ash application (0, 40, 80, and 120 Mg fly ash ha(-1)). In all fly ash treatments, B content in rice leaves and available B in soil at all growing stage were higher than those of control, but were not exceeded a toxicity levels. Boron occluded in amorphous Fe and Al oxides comprised ca. 20-39% of total B and was not affected by fly ash application. Most of the B was accumulated by fly ash application as a residual B which is plant-unavailable form, comprised >60% of the total B in soil. Thus, fly ash can be a good soil amendment for rice production without B toxicity.

A column sorption-elution study was carried out by using a strong base anion-exchange resin (Dowex 2 x 8) for the removal of boron from aqueous solutions. The breakthrough curve was obtained as a function of feed flow rate and the total and breakthrough capacity values of the resin were calculated. The boron on the resin was quantitatively eluted with 0.5M HCl solution at different flow rates. Three consecutive sorption-elution-washing-regeneration-washing cycles were applied to the resin in order to investigate the reusability of the ion-exchange resin. Total capacity values remained almost the same after three sorption-elution-regeneration cycles. The Thomas and the Yoon-Nelson models were applied to experimental data to predict the breakthrough curves and to determine the characteristic column parameters required for process design. The results proved that the models would describe the breakthrough curves well.

In this study, the removal of boric acid from aqueous solution by activated carbon impregnated with salicylic acid was studied in batch system. pH, adsorbent amount, initial boron concentration, temperature, shaking rate and salicylic acid film thickness were chosen as parameters. Boron removal efficiencies increased with increasing adsorbent amount, temperature and pH, decreasing initial boron concentration. As thickness of salicylic acid film on activated carbon becomes thin up to 0.088nm, the efficiency increased, and then, the efficiency decreased with becoming thinner than 0.088nm of salicylic acid film. Shaking rate was no effect on removal efficiency. In result, it was determined that the use of salicylic acid as an impregnant for activated carbon led to the increase of the amount of boron adsorbed. A lactone ring, being the most appropriate conformation, forms between boric acid and -COOH and -OH groups of salicylic acid.

This paper provides a quantitative comparison of electrocoagulation and chemical coagulation approaches based on boron removal. Electrocoagulation process delivers the coagulant in situ as the sacrificial anode corrodes, due to a fixed current density, while the simultaneous evolution of hydrogen at the cathode allows for pollutant removal by flotation. By comparison, conventional chemical coagulation typically adds a salt of the coagulant, with settling providing the primary pollutant removal path. Chemical coagulation was carried out via jar tests using aluminum chloride. Comparison was done with the same amount of coagulant between electrocoagulation and chemical coagulation processes. Boron removal obtained was higher with electrocoagulation process. In addition, it was seen that chemical coagulation has any effect for boron removal from boron-containing solution. At optimum conditions (e.g. pH 8.0 and aluminum dose of 7.45 g/L), boron removal efficiencies for electrocoagulation and chemical coagulation were 94.0% and 24.0%, respectively.

The adsorptive removal of boron from aqueous solution by using the neutralized red mud was studied in batch equilibration technique. The effects of pH, adsorbent dosage, initial boron concentration and contact time on the adsorption were investigated. The experiments demonstrated that boron removal was of a little fluctuation in pH range of 2-7 and it takes 20 min to attain equilibrium. The adsorption data was analyzed using the Langmuir and the Freundlich isotherm models and it was found that the Freundlich isotherm model represented the measured sorption data well.

In the present study, boron adsorption on activated alumina and activated carbon impregnated with calcium chloride, tartaric acid and mannitol was investigated. The adsorbate in question was the wastewater from the chemical landfill in Tarnowskie Gory of 25-70 mg l(-1) boron content. The removal of boron from the above-described wastewater was examined in the static (batch) and dynamic (column) experiments. The static experiments were carried out to assess boron adsorption isotherms, based on which the most efficient adsorbent as well as the rough resin load was determined. On the basis of the dynamic experiment results, the boron adsorptive capacities of the examined resins were deduced. It was concluded that the use of the impregnants increased the ability of activated carbon to adsorb boron. Granulated activated carbon WG-12 impregnated with mannitol was found to be the most promising for the boron removal from wastewater of the Chemical Wastewater Plant in Tarnowskie Gory.

This paper aims the adsorption of boron from aqueous solution onto Siral 30 and Pural using 2(3) full factorial design. The effect of individual variables and their interactional effects for boron adsorption were also determined. From the statistical analysis, it is inferred that as pH and temperature increased boron adsorption from aqueous solution decreased. Siral 30 was found to be more efficient adsorbent than Pural. The unimportant factor affecting boron adsorption from aqueous solution was also verified by using Fisher adequacy test. At the 90% confidence level, the type of adsorbent, temperature and type of adsorbent-temperature interaction was effective on boron adsorption from aqueous solution. The experimental results were fitted to the Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich (DR) equations to find out adsorption capacities. In most cases, the results indicate that Freundlich and DR equations are well described with the sorption data. The adsorption capacity values of Siral 30 calculated from Freundlich and DR equation was greater than that of Pural. The thermodynamic parameters were also estimated and the adsorption process was not spontaneous nature.

The risk of B phytotoxicity due to high levels of B in irrigation water can be avoided by removing B from the water, before its use, through adsorption on certain adsorbents, such as magnesia (industrial MgO), if the latter can be proven to be an effective and easy to handle means for B removal. In addition, if such a material is applied as a fertilizer after its use and the adsorbed B is easily released into the soil solution, B phytotoxicity could constitute a potential hazard. The objectives of this work were to: (a) establish the optimum working conditions (equilibration time, solution to adsorbent ratio, and particle size of the adsorbent) for B adsorption, (b) assess the magnitude of B adsorption by magnesia, both in capacity and intensity terms, as well as the influence of temperature, (c) study B desorbability from magnesia, spiked with B at two rates, 5 and 0.5 mg g(-1), and (d) compare the results from b and c to those obtained using reagent grade MgO. The results showed that the time to achieve equilibrium depended on the B concentration of the external solution and ranged from 6 h (for B /= 50 mg L(-1)). The percentage of B adsorbed decreased as the volume of external solution to adsorbent increased and a working ratio of 50:1 was selected. For magnesia, B adsorption was particle size dependent with the smallest fraction (<0.1 mm) sorbing more B than the other three fractions studied (0.1-1.0, 1.1-2.0, 2.1-4.0 mm). Boron adsorption was conducted under strongly alkaline pH (10.3 +/- 0.2 and 10.4 +/- 0.1 for the reagent and magnesia, respectively) and increased with temperature. Both adsorbents exhibited a high B adsorption capacity (Langmuir maximum values were 5.85 +/- 0.39 and 4.45 +/- 1.31 mg B g(-1) for the reagent and magnesia, respectively) comparable to other metal oxides. However, the reagent grade MgO seemed to be superior to magnesia in terms of capacity and strength of B retention. This superiority of the reagent was attributed to its greater surface area (34.7 compared with 5.8 m(2) g(-1) for magnesia) and to its conversion to Mg(OH)(2) during the adsorption process, whereas magnesia remained unaltered, as was evident from X-ray diffractograms. Based on this data, magnesia seems to be an effective means for removing excess B from irrigation water, particularly if a material of fine particle size is used. Boron desorbability after 240 h of desorption time was more pronounced for magnesia reaching up to 55 and 60% of the amount of B added, at the spiked rates of 5 and 0.5 mg g(-1), respectively. Although these figures indicate that approximately half of the amount of B added remained adsorbed, they cannot be easily extrapolated to field conditions, and if B-laden magnesia is applied to soils, the possibility of B phytotoxicity cannot be excluded.

Boron removal from wastewaters by electrocoagulation using aluminum electrode material was investigated in this paper. Several working parameters, such as pH, current density, boron concentration and type and concentration of supporting electrolyte were studied in an attempt to achieve a higher removal capacity. The experiments were carried out by keeping the pH of solution constant and optimum pH of solution was determined 8.0 for the aluminum electrode. Although energy consumption increased with decreasing boron concentration, which conductivity of these solutions were low, boron removal efficiency was higher at 100 mg/L than that of 1000 mg/L. Current density was an important parameter affecting removal efficiency. Boron removal efficiency and energy consumption increased with increasing current density from 1.2 to 6.0 mA/cm2. The types of different supporting electrolyte were experimented in order to investigate to this parameter effect on boron removal. The highest boron removal efficiency, 97%, was found by CaCl2. Added CaCl2 increased more the conductivity of solution according to other supporting electrolytes, but decreased energy consumption. The results showed to have a high effectiveness of the electrocoagulation method in removing boron from aqueous solutions.

It is well known that boric acid exhibits various toxic effects on plant, animal and human beings even at very low concentrations. Thus, the development of boron-removal technique from wastewater has been intensively investigated. In this study, a new hydrothermal treatment technique was developed to recover boron as recyclable precipitate Ca(2)B(2)O(5).H(2)O from aqueous solutions. As a result, it was found that the hydrothermal treatment using calcium hydroxide as a mineralizer converted boron in the aqueous media effectively into calcium borate, Ca(2)B(2)O(5).H(2)O. In the optimal hydrothermal condition, more than 99% of boron was collected from the synthetic wastewater of 500 ppm. Thus, the present hydrothermal treatment in the presence of calcium hydroxide is recommended as one of the effective techniques to recover boron from aqueous media.

In this study, boron removal from boron-containing wastewaters prepared synthetically was investigated. The experiments in which Amberlite IRA 743, boron specific resin was used were carried out in a column reactor. The bed volume of resin, boron concentration, flow rate and temperature were selected as experimental parameters. The experimental results showed that percent of boron removal increased with increasing amount of resin and with decreasing boron concentration in the solution. Boron removal decreased with increasing of flow rate and the effect of temperature on the percent of total boron removal increased the boron removal rate. As a result, it was seen that about 99% of boron in the wastewater could be removed at optimum conditions.

A study has been made of the semi-synthesis of 1,3-diols (anacardic alcohols) from natural phenolic lipid resources from Anacardium occidentale and Anacardium giganteum which have given C15 and C11 derivatives, respectively. An isomeric 1,3-diol (isoanacardic alcohol) has been obtained from cardanol separated from technical cashew nut-shell liquid. Homologous 1,3-diols have been synthesised from a range of synthetic 2-alkyl-, 3-alkyl- and 4-alkylphenols and from 6-alkylsalicylic acids. The natural 1,2-diol, urushiol, from Rhus vernicifera has been purified. All these lipidic compounds have been studied for their complexation and the potential recovery of boron as boric acid.

Wetland microcosms were used to evaluate the ability of constructed wetlands to remove extremely high concentrations of selenocyanate (SeCN-), arsenic (As), and boron (B) from wastewater generated by a coal gasification plant in Indiana. The wetland microcosms significantly reduced the concentrations of selenium (Se), As, B, and cyanide (CN) in the wastewater by 64%, 47%, 31%, and 30%, respectively. In terms of the mass of each contaminant, 79%, 67%, 57%, and 54% of the Se, As, B, and CN, respectively, loaded into the microcosms were removed from the wastewater. The primary sink for the retention of contaminants within the microcosms was the sediment, which accounted for 63%, 51%, and 36% of the Se, As, and B, respectively. Accumulation in plant tissues accounted for only 2-4%, while 3% of the Se was removed by biological volatilization to the atmosphere. Of the 14 plant species tested, cattail, Thalia, and rabbitfoot grass were highly tolerant of the contaminants and exhibited no growth retardation. Environmental toxicity testing with fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) larvae confirmed that the water treated by the wetland microcosms was less toxic than untreated water. The data from the wetland microcosms support the view that constructed wetlands could be used to successfully reduce the toxicity of aqueous effluent contaminated with extremely high concentrations of SeCN-, As, and B, and that a pilot-scale wetland should therefore be constructed to test this in the field. Cattail, Thalia, and rabbitfoot grass would be suitable plant species to establish in such wetlands.

Boron, chromium, molybdenum, and selenium often occur in high concentrations in fly ash leachates. During the leaching of fly ash in alkaline environments, hydrocalumite (Ca4Al2(OH)12(OH)2 x 6H2O) and ettringite (Ca6Al2(OH)12(SO4)3 x 26H20) form as secondary precipitates. In this study, the removal of B, Cr, Mo, and Se oxyanions from high pH waters by incorporation into hydrocalumite and ettringite was examined. Experiments were performed by precipitating these minerals in solutions containing B, Cr, Mo, and Se oxyanions at conditions relevant to lime-leaching of fly ash as well as to fly ash containing concrete. The uptake of all four anions by hydrocalumite and ettringite was high. Anion uptake by hydrocalumite was larger than that by ettringite, and hydrocalumite was able to reduce anion concentrations to below drinking water standards. Ettringite showed an anion preference in the order of B(OH)4- > SeO4(2-) > CrO4(2-) > MoO4(2-). In contrast, borate was least preferred by hydrocalumite. Coordination, size, and electronegativity are likely the factors that result in the observed differences among the oxyanions.

The effect of different root zone temperatures on the concentration and content of B and Al in potato plants was examined using four different treatments of plastic mulches: T1: transparent polyethylene; T2: white polyethylene; T3: coextruded black and white polyethylene; T4: black polyethylene. An open-air treatment (T0) was used as control. The results showed significantly positive effects of the plastic covers on the root-zone temperatures: T0 = 16 degrees C, T1 = 20 degrees C, T2 = 23 degrees C, T3 = 27 degrees C, T4 = 30 degrees C. These different soil temperature conditions significantly altered the B concentrations, with T3 promoting the greatest concentrations and phytoaccumulation. The root zone temperature treatments induced higher concentrations and accumulation of Al in the T2 and T3 treatments in the roots, tubers, and leaves. The T2 and T3 lead to high levels of pectins in the roots, tubers, and leaves. This appears to reflect a possible mechanism of tolerance to the high Al and B concentrations in the analysed organs.

High concentrations of soil B are detrimental to crop productivity in certain arid and semiarid regions of the western United States. Production of tall fescue on B-affected soils may be a viable strategy to reduce and maintain soil B concentrations at nontoxic levels for most agronomic crops. A 2-year field experiment was conducted to study B uptake in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) Schreb. cv. Au Triumph grown in soil containing potentially toxic levels of native soil B. The soil B concentrations (water-extractable B greater than 5 mg B liter-1) did not affect the dry matter (DM) yield of tall fescue. Boron concentrations in shoot tissue for both years ranged from 88 to 121 mg B kg-1 DM. whereas in root tissue, concentrations ranged from 50 to 60 mg B kg-1 DM. For both years of the study, soil samples were taken at depth of 0-45 and 45-90 cm at the beginning and end of the designated growing season and analyzed for water-extractable B. Summary data from all cropped plots at the two soil depths indicated that the mean water-extractable B concentrations were reduced by 35% after 2 years in the tall fescue plots, whereas losses of extractable B from bare plots did not exceed 13% for both years. Tall fescue apparently can be used as a component in an overall strategy to lower extractable soil native B levels in irrigated agriculture soils and potentially reduce leaching of B into shallow ground water.