Formation of fluorine technogenic anomalies in above-ground ecosystems of Siberia: Biological sorption, monitoring, possibility of lowering the negative impact

Abstract

This paper studies how aluminum smelter emissions into the atmosphere affect the accumulation of fluorine by soil and plants, as well as change the chemical composition in leaves of woody plants. The ratio between total and extractable fluorine is ascertained to vary widely depending on the plant species. Meanwhile, gas resistant plants are characterized by an increased ash content in leaves (at the expense of K, P, Ca, etc.) and growth in the ratio between total and water-soluble fluorine. Plant resistance to fluorine that enters tissues depends on the capability of an organism to transform the toxicant into insoluble forms, which are not involved in physiological processes, i.e., on the presence of tissue elements with high precipitating capability. The gas-resistant species are ascertained to be characterized by high capability of limiting the intake of fluorine through roots, as well as its migration through a plant (especially to the organs that determine the further development of an organism).