A source analysis of soil fluorine in central and southern Hebei plain

Abstract：The central and southern plain of Hebei Province is a district with a high incidence of fluorine poisoning. This paper analyzed the natural and anthropogenic factors influencing F content of soil. The natural factors, such as Taihang Mountains bedrock, Quaternary volcanic activities, Yellow River flooding and Quaternary transgression were taken into consideration, and anthropogenic factors, such as rainfall, fertilizers and irrigation water, were also discussed. The results show that the overall change of fluorine in soil based on geological setting. Quaternary volcanic activities, Yellow River flooding and Quaternary transgression may exert strong influence on some areas. By analyzing the samples collected from fluorine soil anomalies and areas with a high incidence of endemic diseases, the authors conclude that soil texture is the main controlling factor, and the superposition extent of human influence is very weak. This means that fluorine in soil mainly comes from natural sources. The conclusions provide an important data for preventing and controlling of endemic fluorine poisoning.