Hydrogen fluoride damage to vegetation from pen-urban brick kilns in Asia: A growing but unrecognised problem?

TY - JOUR

T1 - Hydrogen fluoride damage to vegetation from pen-urban brick kilns in Asia

T2 - A growing but unrecognised problem?

AU - Ahmad, Muhammad Nauman

AU - van den Berg, Leon J. L.

AU - Shah, Hamid Ullah

AU - Masood, Tariq

AU - Bueker, Patrick

AU - Emberson, Lisa

AU - Ashmore, Mike

PY - 2012/3

Y1 - 2012/3

N2 - The rapid urbanisation of many cities in south and south-east Asia has increased the demand for bricks, which are typically supplied from brick kilns in pen-urban areas. We report visible foliar damage to mango, apricot and plum trees in the vicinity of traditional Bull's Trench brick kilns in Peshawar, Pakistan. Visible injury symptoms, hydrogen fluoride concentrations in air, and foliar fluoride concentrations were all greater in the vicinity of brick kilns than at more distant sites, indicating that fluoride emissions from brick kilns were the main cause of damage. Interviews with local farmers established the significant impact of this damage on their livelihoods. Since poorly regulated brick kilns are often found close to important pen-urban agricultural areas, we suggest that this may be a growing but unrecognised environmental problem in regions of Asia where emission control in brick kilns has not been improved. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

AB - The rapid urbanisation of many cities in south and south-east Asia has increased the demand for bricks, which are typically supplied from brick kilns in pen-urban areas. We report visible foliar damage to mango, apricot and plum trees in the vicinity of traditional Bull's Trench brick kilns in Peshawar, Pakistan. Visible injury symptoms, hydrogen fluoride concentrations in air, and foliar fluoride concentrations were all greater in the vicinity of brick kilns than at more distant sites, indicating that fluoride emissions from brick kilns were the main cause of damage. Interviews with local farmers established the significant impact of this damage on their livelihoods. Since poorly regulated brick kilns are often found close to important pen-urban agricultural areas, we suggest that this may be a growing but unrecognised environmental problem in regions of Asia where emission control in brick kilns has not been improved. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

KW - Pakistan

KW - Visible injury

KW - Fruit trees

KW - SOILS

KW - WHEAT

KW - YIELD

KW - Air pollution

KW - Brick kilns

KW - RICE

KW - AIRBORNE FLUORIDE

KW - POLLUTION

KW - SULFUR-DIOXIDE

KW - Asia

KW - Hydrogen fluoride

KW - INDIA

KW - LEAVES

KW - VICINITY

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=83655164010&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.envpol.2011.11.017

DO - 10.1016/j.envpol.2011.11.017

M3 - Article

SN - 0269-7491

VL - 162

SP - 319

EP - 324

JO - Environmental Pollution

JF - Environmental Pollution

ER -