Boron removal

[Bedrettin]

Hi,
I have to treat water from a well which will be used for gardening purposes. Raw water contains 2.7 mg/L boron and local standarts for irrigration water is 2 mg/L as boron accumulates in plant body. But an ion-exchange system or a RO plant isn't suitable in this situation. Is there any other way to reduce boron concentration?

Thank you...

 

[Muggle]

Bedritten - boron can be flocculated fairly easily with calcium - then just mechanically removed. Not sure of the dosage rate - but addition of a small amount of caclium carbonte should do the trick - also you can use lanthanum or alum. I think a "google" search for application rates will quickly find the levels for your removal. EPA should have adata, as well as the USDA.

Hope that helps -

DAve/Aquatic Technologies

 

[Bedrettin]

Thanks Muggle,
I have little space to place the equipment so I'm not sure a flocculator, a dosage pump with chemical storage and preperation tank(s) and probably a large sand filter will be suitable.
EPA documentation may help. I will search for it.

Thanks again for your answer...

 

[sklone]

In Malaysia, a mixed bed column of ion exchange resins is normally used. Once exhausted, the column is collected and regenerated by a small water treatment company for a fee ( approx 70 USD , costly ?? ) . In such case, a standby column is necessary.

Is such an arrangement viable to you and available in your country ?

 

[Bedrettin]

We can regenerate it in our workshop but required capacity is 3 tons/hr. It should be a large column which requires lots of regenerant chemicals. I don't think that will be cost-effective.
I'm still on search for documentation about boron but couldn't find anything except some toxicity and bioaccumulation studies.

Thanks sklone...

 

[yman]

You Have two options:
1.Use boron specific ion exchangers. Dow and Rohm & Hass have these products. They will reduce B to less than 0.1 mg/l.
2.If desalting is required any how you can use RO. Boron rejection is indeed poor at low pH. Solution for large scale sea water RO plants based on alkaline partial second RO Pass are being implemented now. New Projection software of DOW filmtec, Hydranautics and Tory relate to Boron rejection.

 

[bimr]

I will second yman's post. You have no other options. Here is a link for you to read:

http://www.vwm-online.com/Magazine/Archive/2001/Vol27_No3/boron.htm

 

[Bedrettin]

Thank you for your help. I think I'll use a resin system.