Fluoride pollution mainly affects -

Concept:

• The addition of unwanted substances in a concentration that has an adverse effect on organisms and the environment, is called pollution.
• The agents that pollute the environment or cause pollution are called pollutants.
• Depending upon the area or the part of the environment affected, pollution may be of the following types :
  • Air pollution
  • Water pollution
  • Land pollution
  • Noise pollution
• Pollutants can be degradable, like discarded vegetables which are rapidly broken down by natural processes.
• Pollutants that are slowly degradable, remain in the environment unchanged for many decades.
  • For example, substances such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), plastic materials, heavy metals, chemicals, nuclear wastes, etc.
• Pollutants originate from a source and get transported by air or water or are dumped into the soil by human beings.
• Fluoride, dust, lead, sodium chloride, etc are some examples of particulate pollutants.

Explanation:

• Aluminium, steel and electrochemical plants, blast furnaces, brick kilns, coal combustion, tile, and glass etching factories add fluoride particles that settle on vegetation.
• Upon heating rocks, soils and minerals that contain fluorides, give out hydrogen fluoride gas.
• They burn tips of leaves and when cattle eat the vegetation they suffer from fluorosis resulting in loss of teeth, weight, and lameness.
• Humans also suffer from fluorosis which leads to the loss of teeth.
• Volcanoes also release fluorides which form gaseous as well as particulate pollutants.

Thus, Fluoride pollution mainly affects teeth.

Additional Information

• At the domestic level, the burning of wood and dung cakes can be replaced by use of cleaner fuel and biogas.
• Automobile pollution can be reduced by :
  • pooling of transport or use of public transport.
  • use of unleaded petrol and CNG (Compressed Natural Gas).
  • regular tuning and servicing of the engines, and
  • switching off the engine at red lights or when not in use.
• The following measures can reduce industrial pollution:
  • installation of tall chimneys,
  • installation of devices that do not allow pollutants to be released in the environment, such as filters, electrostatic precipitators, scrubbers etc.,