Industrial Fluoride Emissions are Dangerous to Animal Health, but Most Ranchers are Unaware of it

Abstract

No doubt, industrialization is relatively more important and necessary for the sustainable development and economy for any country or geographical region. That is why many types of factories or industrial activities work day and night for different types of production. But there are many of these factories which continuously emit fluoride in the gaseous and particulate/dust forms into their surrounding environments and contaminate diverse natural resources such as soil, air, reservoirs, herbage, vegetation, ecosystem etc. In the world or in different countries, the major and most common sources of industrial fluoride emissions are coal-fired power plants and industrial activities, such as the production of steel, iron, aluminium, zinc, phosphorus, chemical fertilizers, oil refineries, bricks, glasses, plastic, cement, and hydrofluoric acid. When domestic animals viz. cattle (Bos taurus), water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis), sheep (Ovis aries), goats (Capra hircus), horses (Equus caballus), donkeys (Equus asinus), and dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) exposed to industrial fluoride emissions or pollution over a long period of time, it becomes highly toxic and poses a threat to animal health. In the world, thousands of domestic animals have been found to be suffering from a dangerous disease called industrial fluorosis due to chronic exposure of industrial fluoride. In fact, this fluoride affects the teeth and bones and soft organs as well. Due to its chronic toxicosis, teeth become weak and mottled (dental fluorosis) and animals develop lameness (skeletal fluorosis) when fluoride toxicosis becomes more severe. However, immature and bovine animals are found to be more prone to fluorosis. Apart from the health of animals, industrial fluorosis in domestic animals also affects the economy of the livestock farmers. But most ranchers or livestock farmers are unaware of it. In present editorial, the most common sources of industrial fluoride emissions, chronic industrial fluoride toxicosis or industrial fluorosis in domestic animals, and the possible ways for how to prevent animals from this disease have been highlighted. Through this article, it is also to attract the attention of the responsible people so that this health problem caused by industrial fluoride pollution can be prevented in economically important animals.