Boron effects on the environment and methods to remove it from aqueous solutions

Boron is very important micronutrient for plants and animals, which menas essential for growth of them in very small quantities. This is the element of special attention as its deficiency and excess are harmful for many plants and the gap between both these level is very narrow. In humans, small amount of boron occur in all tissues but an excess of boron may lead to damage of nervous system. Therefore, boron concentration in drinking water and wastewater is regulated in many countries. The recommended boron content in drinking water according to world health organization (WHO) guideline is 0.5 and according to this limit, the removal of boron from aqueous solution and water is of great environmental and health public health concern. Recently different methods to separate boron from water have been developed. Among them the more effective methods are adsorption processes, membrane processes and hybrid processes. In this manuscript, we presenting knowledge on boron, its properties, sources, effects on environment, plants, animals and new methods for its removal.