Rio Tinto Borax : About Borates : Borates by Nature

	Borates by Nature
	Boron in Plant Life
	Boron in Your Diet
	Boron in Water
	Boron in Soil
	Boron in the Atmosphere
	Boron Ores

	Borates in Use

	Borates by Function

	Health & Safety Effects

BORATES BY NATURE

Boron in Soil

Boron is a naturally occurring element in soil originating from boron-containing minerals in the earth's crust. Boron availability and levels in soil are dependent on solubility of boron in the parent rock; the physical and chemical characteristics of the soil; and the availability of water moving through it. The available level of boron ranges from 0.1 to 3 mg/kg of soil. However, most of the boron in soil remains part of insoluble minerals or is firmly attached to other components such as clay or organic matter. The total boron level (soluble and insoluble) in soil can be categorized as low-boron (less than 10 mg B/kg soil) or high-boron (on the order of 100 mg/kg). The average overall concentration of boron in all soil ranges from 10 to 20 mg/kg.

Boron deficiency is more widespread than boron enrichment. Extremely high-boron soils are rare. Existing large deposits were formed over many years encapsulating high concentrations of borates in non-permeable layers of clay. In some areas of the world soil is layered on top of rock with a high boron content. This rock is a source of boron and may result in boron-enriched topsoil and groundwater.

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