Abstract

MANCILLA-VILLA, Oscar Raúl et al. Content of Boron inn Surface Water in Puebla, Tlaxcala, and Veracruz. Tecnol. cienc. agua [online]. 2014, vol.5, n.5, pp.97-109. ISSN 2007-2422.

The development of agriculture depends on the quantity and quality of water available for irrigation, among other factors. Quality varies widely according to the quantity and type of salts it contains, since some elements such as boron (B) are toxic for plants. In Puebla, Tlaxcala and Veracruz over one million hectares are used for irrigation agriculture, and therefore it is imperative to know the quality of water with respect to boron contents. Therefore, this study conducted an investigation to determine the electrical conductivity (EC), pH and B content in these waters based on three samplings, performed in 2009, 2010 and 2011. A total of 91 samples were taken for each sampling. B content in water was determined in the hydro-sciences laboratory of the Postgraduates College using the Azomethine-H method. Concentrations of B in the water were low and less than 1 mg L^-1 for 76 of the 91 samples collected for each sampling. High contents of B, above 5 mg L^-1, were found in 15 samples. Of the waters analyzed, 83.5% is recommended for agricultural use without restriction, while 16.5% is not recommended for agricultural, domestic or recreational uses due to the dangers and risk of toxicity from B in crops and in humans.

Keywords : Surface water; permissible limits of boron; toxicity in crops; sewage.

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