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Name: Rose R.
Status: Other
Age: 40s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: March 2001
Question:
Can fluorspar cause dangerous contamination of water or soil?


Replies:
The solubility constant for the solution of CaF2 = Ca(++) + 2F(-) is 8.5 x 10 ^ -10. The corresponding concentration of F(-) is 1.75 x 10 ^-5, which is equal to 0.32 parts per million. I an not an authority on the toxicity of F(-) but this sounds pretty low to me, since this simple calculation does not take into account other cations in the soil that will form insoluble fluorides, and further reduce its "free" concentration.

Vince Calder


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