What happens to fluoride, hydrogen fluoride, and fluorine when they enter the environment?
• Fluorine cannot be destroyed in the environment; it can only change its form. Fluorine forms salts with minerals in soil. • Hydrogen fluoride gas will be absorbed by rain and into clouds and fog to form hydrofluoric acid, which will fall to the ground. • Fluorides released to the air from volcanoes and industry are carried by wind and rain to nearby water, soil, and food sources. • Fluorides in water and soil will form strong associations with sediment or soil particles. • Fluorides will accumulate in plants and animals. In animals, the fluoride accumulates primarily in the bones or shell rather than in soft tissues.