Variations in the Fluoride Level in Precipitation in a Region of Human Impact

Abstract

The research concerns the Wielkopolski National Park (West Poland), which suffered a huge human impact in the 1970s and 1980s owing to the nearby location of an industrial plant. Since then, fundamental technological changes that it introduced into its production of phosphate fertilizers have radically reduced the amount of pollution emitted. A three-year study (2002)(2003)(2004) of fluorides in precipitation in open terrain and under tree crowns showed their concentrations to range from levels below the detection limit (0.003 mg/l) to 0.560 mg/l. Those registered under tree crowns were several times higher and indicated substantial dry deposition of fluorides on the trees. The highest values were recorded in 2003, with 43% of samples ranging from 0.01 to 0.05 mg/l, and with 51% of throughfall ranging from 0.10 to 0.50 mg/l. A strong connection was shown to exist between fluoride and sulphate concentrations in the precipitation. An analysis was made of the available data on F concentrations in the air and the dust levels around the factory, but these figures did not show an unequivocal effect on F concentrations in precipitation. A great similarity was found to occur between the fluoride content in rainwater in the Wielkopolski National Park and in the centre of the nearby Poznań metropolitan area, which indicates that there are also other F sources besides the local factory.

Fluoride in the environment: sources, distribution and defluoridation

“…These volcanic sources have also been found to cause fluoride contamination in groundwater of Kenya (Gaciri and Davies 1993). The industrial aerosols from brickworks, aluminum smelters, iron and steel production, fossil fuel burning, ceramic industries and phosphate fertilizer plants are the primary anthropogenic sources of fluorine (Bonvicini et al 2006;Cronin et al 2000;Feng et al 2003;Fuge 1977;Tavener and Clark 2006;Walna et al 2007). Both gaseous (e.g., HF, SiF 4 , F 2 , and H 2 SiF 4 ) and particulate forms (e.g., CaF 2 , NaF, and Na 2 SiF 6 ) of fluoride is being released by the industrial sources.…”

“…Both gaseous (e.g., HF, SiF 4 , F 2 , and H 2 SiF 4 ) and particulate forms (e.g., CaF 2 , NaF, and Na 2 SiF 6 ) of fluoride is being released by the industrial sources. It has been reported that the rainfall contaminated by such industrial emissions may contain fluoride concentrations exceeding 1 mg/L (Feng et al 2003;Neal 1989;Saether and Andreassen 1989;Walna et al 2007), and these concentrations can persist up to 2 km from the source (Mirlean and Roisenberg 2007).…”

Fluoride and environmental health: a review

“…The primary anthropogenic sources of fluorine are industrial aerosols, which include emissions from brickworks, aluminum smelters, iron and steel production, fossil fuel burning, ceramic industries and Dissanayake (1991) phosphate fertilizers plants (Fuge and Andrews 1988;Cronin et al 2000;Feng et al 2003;Bonvicini et al 2006;Tavener and Clark 2006;Walna et al 2007). These pollution sources release fluoride to the environment in both gaseous (e.g., HF, SiF 4 , F 2 , and H 2 SiF 4 ) and particulate forms (e.g., CaF 2 , NaF, and Na 2 SiF 6 ).…”

“…Atmospheric chlorofluorocarbons also contribute fluoride to rainwater, but the concentrations (\0.001 mg/l) are insignificant when compared to natural background levels (Sidebottom and Franklin 1996). Rainfall contaminated by industrial emissions can contain fluoride concentrations that are an order of magnitude greater than background levels, even exceeding 1 mg/l (Neal 1989;Saether and Andreassen 1989;Feng et al 2003;Walna et al 2007), and these concentrations can persist up to 2 km from the source (Mirlean and Roisenberg 2007). In one notable case, the atmospheric fluorine pollution from brickworks in the UK was apparently responsible for fluorosis in nearby farm animals (Fuge and Andrews 1988).…”

Evaluation of Bulk Deposition in Protected Woodland Area in Western Poland

“…An important pollutant ever-present in precipitation in the study area is fluorine (Walna et al, 2006). While it is not a significant component of acidforming ions owing to it its small concentrations, its toxicity and high chemical activity make it especially dangerous to the natural environment (Karolewski, Siepak, & Gramowska, 2000;McCune & Weinstein, 2002).…”