Industrial fluoride emissions and their spatial characteristics in the Nansi Lake Basin, Eastern China

Excessive fluoride emissions threaten ecological stability and human health. Previous studies have noted that industrial sources could be significant. However, quantifying industrial fluoride emissions has not been yet reported. In this study, both bottom-up and top-down approaches were used to estimate the fluoride emissions in the Nansi Lake Basin. Global and local spatial autocorrelation were adopted to reveal the spatial agglomeration effects. The fluoride emissions calculated by the bottom-up approach were larger than those calculated by the top-down method. The highest fluoride input mainly occurred in Zoucheng and Mudan. The highest fluoride emissions mainly occurred in Zoucheng and Rencheng using the bottom-up approach. The highest fluoride emissions mainly occurred in Zoucheng and Yanzhou using the top-down approach. Mining and washing of bituminous coal and anthracite (BAW) was the most significant source of fluoride input and emissions. A significant spatial agglomeration effect of fluoride emissions was found. These findings could provide a method for accurate industrial fluoride emission estimation, complement the critical data on the fluoride emissions of main industrial sectors, and provide a scientific basis for tracing fluoride sources.