Characteristics of fluoride in pore-water at accidental hydrofluoric acid spillage site, Gumi, Korea

Abstract:

A leakage accident of hydrofluoric acid (HF) occurred in Gumi, South Korea at Sep. 2012. The study site is located in the borderline between a large-scale industrial complex and a rural area. The HF plume was made immediately, and moved toward the rural area through air. After the accident, 212 ha of farm land were influenced and most of crops were withered. To recover the soil, CaO was applied after six months. Although several studies have done to estimate the extension and movement of HF plume in the air and to assess the impact on human health or plant after the incident, the long-term fate of fluoride (F) in the affected soils is not identified clearly. Thus, this study aimed to understand the behavior of F in the soil after HF releasing from accident site through chemical analysis and geochemical modeling. Within the radius of 1 km of accident site, 16 pore-water and soil samples were collected. The semi-quantitative soil composition (i.e., Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, Si, Ti), total F, total P, OM contents in soil, and soil pH have already been measured, and pore-water compositions are also identified. From these experimental and modeling data, we could be evaluate if impact of accident exists until now, and also could be select and identify existing form of fluoride in soil and pore-water.