The history of fluorine and sources of fluorides in the environment

• Published in: Fluorides in the Environment pp. 1 - 20
• Main Authors: Weinstein, L. H, Davison, A. W
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Wallingford, UK CABI Publishing 2004; CABI
• Subjects: accidents; air pollutants; alkylation; aluminium; aluminum; America; APEC countries; bricks; coal; combustion; determination; Developed Countries; emission; environment; Environmental chemistry; environmental effects; ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY; environmental impact; environmental pollution; fiberglass; fluorides; fluorine; forest fires; glassfibre; Great Plains States of USA; Gulf States of USA; health hazards; hydrofluoric acid; hydrogen fluoride; iron; marine areas; minerals; Mountain States of USA; North America; oceans; OECD Countries; Pacific States of USA; phosphate fertilizers; phosphorus; phosphorus fertilizers; physicochemical properties; pollution; public health; rocks; seas; soil; sources; Southern Plains States of USA; Southern States of USA; Southwestern States of USA; steel; tiles; United States of America; uranium; USA; volcanoes; water; West South Central States of USA; Western States of USA; USA; California; Oklahoma; Texas; Arizona
• ISBN: 9780851996837; 0851996833
• DOI: 10.1079/9780851996837.0001

This chapter briefly discusses the historical background, physicochemical properties, and analytical determination of fluorine. The natural sources of fluorides include minerals, rocks and soil, natural waters as well as volcanoes, forest fires and oceans. Also discussed are the eight main sources of atmospheric emissions, these are: (i) phosphate fertilizers and elemental phosphorus; (ii) primary aluminium smelting; (iii) hydrofluoric acid (HF) alkylation in petroleum refining; (iv) glass and glassfibre manufacture; (v) brick, tile, pottery and cement manufacture; (vi) iron and steel manufacture; (vii) other industrial uses of HF (i.e. metal cleaning); and (viii) coal combustion. Finally, some examples of accidental releases of HF in oil and petroleum companies located in Texas, California and Arizona, and a uranium-processing plant in Oklahoma (USA) are given showing the causes and the scale of such releases.