Fluorine contamination, mobility, and risks in soils at a phosphate-gypsum waste landfill: a new analytical method and comparison with previous methods

Abstract

This study used a new X-ray uorescence (XRF)-based analytical method with better precision and sensitivity to evaluate the uorine concentrations in soil. It was hypothesized that the XRF method with a pellet-synthesizing procedure may effectively analyze the uorine concentrations in soil with ease and reliability. The total uorine concentrations determined using XRF were compared with those determined using three different types of analytical protocols-incineration/distillation, alkaline fusion, and aqua regia extraction procedures. Among the three procedures, the incineration/distillation procedure did not show reliable precision and reproducibility. In contrast, the total uorine concentrations determined using the XRF analysis were linearly correlated with those determined using the alkaline fusion and aqua regia extraction procedures. Based on the results of the Korean waste leaching procedure (KWLP) and toxicity characteristics leaching procedure (TCLP), the leachability of uorine from soil and waste was not directly related to total uorine concentrations in soil. Risk assessment also revealed that the uorine-rich soils did not show non-carcinogenic toxic effects, despite exceeding the regulation level (800 mg/kg) in South Korea for total uorine concentrations in soil. Our results suggest that XRF analysis in combination with the newly developed pretreatment method may be a promising alternative procedure for easily and rapidly determining the total uorine concentration in soil. However, further efforts are needed to evaluate uorine leachability and its associated risks in uorine-contaminated soils.