resulted in larger, population scale impacts. Fluorine compounds exhibit long-term toxic effects on the environment as well as being persistent. Industrial production and Overview processing are the largest emission contributor to environmental fluorine compounds and areas surrounding plants often display higher fluorine concentrations. Low: Insufficient evidence is available to determine the acute toxicity Acute ecotoxicity of fluorine compounds to plants or animals but the effects are thought Potential to be low. environment Extreme: Large quantities of fluorine compounds can lower the pH of impacts Chronic ecosystems for extended periods of time. Concentrated compounds, ecotoxicity such as hydrogen fluoride, are very corrosive and would significantly burn plants and animals exposed to it. Extreme: Fluorine compounds are highly persistent and will take the Persistence form of a gas, liquid or solid in a variety of ecosystems. Industrial emissions can produce elevated concentrations in the atmosphere. Bioaccumulation Limited evidence of bioaccumulation. Where are the Generation Transport Storage Treatment Recovery Final disposal risks of impacts most likely? High Medium Medium Moderate N/A Low Has anything A large number of hydrofluoric acid workplace incidents and accidents in recent decades in happened Australia are reported in Appendix C of NICNAS’s Hydrofluoric Acid (HF) Priority Existing before in Chemical Assessment Report No.19, 9 Australia? Higher risk workplaces like the aluminium industry, where worker exposure to fluorine compounds may be possible, routinely monitor Industry – at-risk staff via blood or urine-based testing. systematic Such companies are licensed by environmental regulators to control controls industrial processes and equipment so as to limit environmental emissions of pollutants like lead. What control measures are in Potential industrial sources of fluorine compound waste have strict place to emissions control measures in place through the use of plant manage risks equipment such as engineering controls (extraction ventilation). posed by this Additionally at-risk workers are required to wear appropriate personal Industry – waste? protective equipment (PPE). Emergency facilities to manage the exposure exposure of staff, such as eye wash stations, should also be readily controls available6. Australia also has national standards in place regarding the exposure limits for atmospheric contaminants in the occupational environment. These relate to average atmospheric contaminants over an eight
resulted in larger, population scale impacts. Potential environment impacts Overview Fluorine compounds exhibit long-term toxic effects on the environment as well as being persistent. Industrial production and processing are the largest emission contributor to environmental fluorine compounds and areas surrounding plants often display higher fluorine concentrations. Acute ecotoxicity Low: Insufficient evidence is available to determine the acute toxicity of fluorine compounds to plants or animals but the effects are thought to be low. Chronic ecotoxicity Extreme: Large quantities of fluorine compounds can lower the pH of ecosystems for extended periods of time. Concentrated compounds, such as hydrogen fluoride, are very corrosive and would significantly burn plants and animals exposed to it. Persistence Extreme: Fluorine compounds are highly persistent and will take the form of a gas, liquid or solid in a variety of ecosystems. Industrial emissions can produce elevated concentrations in the atmosphere. Bioaccumulation Limited evidence of bioaccumulation. Where are the risks of impacts most likely? Generation Transport Storage Treatment Recovery Final disposal High Medium Medium Moderate N/A Low Has anything happened before in Australia? A large number of hydrofluoric acid workplace incidents and accidents in recent decades in Australia are reported in Appendix C of NICNAS’s Hydrofluoric Acid (HF) Priority Existing Chemical Assessment Report No.19, 9 What control measures are in place to manage risks posed by this waste? Industry – systematic controls Higher risk workplaces like the aluminium industry, where worker exposure to fluorine compounds may be possible, routinely monitor at-risk staff via blood or urine-based testing. Such companies are licensed by environmental regulators to control industrial processes and equipment so as to limit environmental emissions of pollutants like lead. Industry – exposure controls Potential industrial sources of fluorine compound waste have strict emissions control measures in place through the use of plant equipment such as engineering controls (extraction ventilation). Additionally at-risk workers are required to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Emergency facilities to manage the exposure of staff, such as eye wash stations, should also be readily available6. Australia also has national standards in place regarding the exposure limits for atmospheric contaminants in the occupational environment. These relate to average atmospheric contaminants over an eight
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