Is boric acid/borax a health concern??

[PoolDoc]

This is an old question, but one that gets asked again and again in many forms.

The specific answer, to the OP, is that the Canadian position was exaggerated and has since been partially retracted (I think; like most bureaucracies, the Canadian ministries don't know how to admit they were wrong. It could be worse: the US EPA is worse!)

Regarding borax:

• Don't eat it.
• Don't drink it, in water.
• And don't EVER put it in your eyes,
• BUT, don't worry about it!

Boric acid is -- functionally -- a more concentrated form of borax, but is rarely used in pools.

In more detail -- much, much more detail -- here's a document I'm working on, entitled "Relative Toxicity of Household Chemicals":
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...CeQl1Ce0/edit#

Eventually, the data there will allow some nice graphs showing how irrational some of the sensationalized 'chlorine-phobia' really is. For example, the MOST toxic household chemical in most people's homes appears to be either aspirin or caffeine! But in its current state, the document is useful only to those wanting to know a lot more detail . . . and not to anyone who wants a quick answer.

Bit if you wish, you can comment here, or in the document itself.