title: Hydrogen fluoride damage to vegetation from peri-urban brick kilns in Asia: a growing but unrecognised problem?
abstract: 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 peri-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 peri-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.
authors.affiliation: Environment Department, University of York, York, UK.
authors.forename: Muhammad Nauman
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Leon J L
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: van den Berg
authors.forename: Hamid Ullah
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Tariq
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masood
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Büker
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Emberson
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ashmore
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D003252:Construction Materials / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006858:Hydrofluoric Acid / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D031022:Mangifera / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D010154:Pakistan; D027861:Prunus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D014197:Trees / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D006858:Hydrofluoric Acid