ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Effects of Increasing Soil Fluoride on the Growth
of Vegetation in the Vicinity of Brick Kilns:
A Case Study from Rawalpindi, Pakistan
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1
Department of Development Studies, School of Social Sciences and Humanities (S3H),
National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
2
Environmental Sciences Department, Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU), Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Submission date: 2018-08-25
Final revision date: 2018-12-06
Acceptance date: 2018-12-15
Online publication date: 2019-12-16
Publication date: 2020-02-13
Corresponding author
Rida Bano
National University of Science and Technology
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2020;29(2):1535-1544
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ABSTRACT
Increased fluoride emissions from brick kilns has affected the existence of plant species near brick
kilns in Rawalpindi. For this purpose, six mesocosms in cardboard boxes were prepared, out of which
two cardboard boxes were allocated as controls (no treatment given); while in four other cardboard box
treatments of sodium fluoride, NaF was given. Fluoride concentrations of 30 ppm and 50 ppm were
given to three different species of plants, i.e., Conyza Canadensis, Artemisia Absinthium and Cannabis
Sativa. This study has evaluated the performance of different plants. The evaluation is done on several
parameters such as chlorophyll level, carotenoid content and ascorbic acid. Similarly, other parameters
checked are relative water content, above and below biomass, plant height, area of leaves and the number
of leaves. Results showed that above- and below-ground biomass showed significant decreases in all
selected species. Conyza Canadensis at 30 ppm and 50 ppm fluoride showed the greatest percentage
reduction of leaf area with respect to control, i.e., 46.84% and 42.63%, respectively. Cannabis Sativa
showed the greatest reduction in chlorophyll at 30 ppm (74.63%) and 50 ppm (59.73%). While artemisia
absinthium did not show a significant decrease in both chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b.