information on ill affects from flouride on plants

[cork144]

since the uk water supply is flouradated and 66% of the american water supply is floruadated should we not have a topic where we combe for infomation on flourides affects on plants?


a picture of fluoride toxicity on a plant

I will try and compile a list here of problems surrounding fluoride ;

fluoride may be toxic to microbiological processes in soils
Yellowing of leaves / a bleaching of leaves,
slowed growth rate,
some pictures have shown a crisping of the outer edges of leaves,

found this out;
The most common micronutrient toxicity is caused by excess fluoride.

Fluoride toxicity. Typical injurious levels of fluoride ion causes marginal necrotic lesions along the edges of leaves.

Fluoride toxicity. Use of superphosphate or perlite amendments to containerized growth media can result in phytotoxic lever of fluoride ions. Marginal necrotic spots develop on affected plants


Removing fluoride from your water;

Ways to Remove Fluoride from Water

# Reverse Osmosis Filtration
This is used to purify several types of bottled water (not all), so some bottled waters are unfluoridated. Reverse osmosis systems are generally unaffordable for personal use.



# Activated Alumina Defluoridation Filter
These filters are used in locales where fluorosis is prevalent. They are relatively expensive (lowest price I saw was $30/filter) and require frequent replacement, but do offer an option for home water filtration.

# Distillation Filtration
There are commercially available distillation filters that can be purchased to remove fluoride from water. On a related note: When looking at bottled water, keep in mind that 'distilled water' does not imply that a product is suitable for drinking water and other undesirable impurities may be present.



These Do NOT Remove Fluoride

# Brita, Pur, and most other filters.
Some websites about fluoride removal state otherwise, but I checked the product descriptions on the companies' websites to confirm that fluoride is left in the water.

# Boiling Water
This will concentrate the fluoride rather than reduce it.

# Freezing Water
Freezing water does not affect the concentration of fluoride.


id also like to put a public health warning up here, flouride is damaging to your brain, it makes you placid, the chemical in prozac is a flouride compound.

http://www.fluoridealert.org/

 

[cork144]

http://www.greenfacts.org/en/fluoride/fluorides-2/06-effects-environment.htm#2


6.2 What levels of fluoride exposure are harmful to microbes and plants?

There is evidence that fluoride may be toxic to microbiological processes in soils at concentrations found in moderately polluted areas.

Signs of harmful effects on plants include the yellowing of leaves and slowed growth. When plants take up fluoride from soil its toxic effects depend on the ionic species of fluoride present and on the type of soil.

Many studies have assessed the effects of fluoride emissions on plants by exposing them to hydrogen fluoride (HF) gas. Leave tissue starts to die (leaf necrosis) above certain concentrations in air, e.g. 0.17 and 0.27 µg/m3 in the case of grapevines (for an exposure of 99 and 83 days). Airborne fluoride can also have an impact on the development of plant diseases, but the type and magnitude of the effects depend on the specific plant and its disease.

Evidence shows that the smaller the distance from great fluoride sources such as aluminium smelters or phosphorus plants, the higher the fluoride levels in soils and hence the degree of damage to vegetation. Mean levels of fluoride in vegetation near one of these large fluoride sources ranged from 281 mg/kg in severely damaged areas to 44 mg/kg in slightly damaged areas. Near an aluminium smelter, differences in plant community composition and structure were observed due partly to variations in fluoride tolerance, but other variables such as other atmospheric pollutants must also be taken into account when interpreting the many field studies on fluoride pollution. More...


In laboratory studies, fluoride seems to be toxic for microbial processes at concentrations found in moderately fluoride polluted soils; similarly, in the field, accumulation of organic matter in the vicinity of smelters has been attributed to severe inhibition of microbial activity by fluoride.

Signs of inorganic fluoride phytotoxicity (fluorosis), such as chlorosis, necrosis and decreased growth rates, are most likely to occur in the young, expanding tissues of broadleaf plants and elongating needles of conifers. The induction of fluorosis has been clearly demonstrated in laboratory, greenhouse and controlled field plot experiments. A large number of the papers published on fluoride toxicity to plants concern glasshouse fumigation with hydrogen fluoride. Foliar necrosis was first observed on grapevines (Vitis vinifera) exposed to 0.17 and 0.27 µg/m3 after 99 and 83 days, respectively. The lowest-observed-effect level for leaf necrosis (65% of leaves) in the snow princess gladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflorus) was 0.35 µg fluoride/m3. Airborne fluoride can also affect plant disease development, although the type and magnitude of the effects are dependent on the specific plant–pathogen combination.

Several short-term solution culture studies have identified a toxic threshold for fluoride ion activity ranging from approximately 50 to 2000 µmol fluoride/litre. Toxicity is specific not only to plant species, but also to ionic species of fluoride; some aluminium fluoride complexes present in solution culture may be toxic at activities of 22–357 µmol fluoride/litre, whereas hydrogen fluoride is toxic at activities of 71–137 µmol fluoride/litre. A few studies have been carried out in which the fluoride exposures have been via the soil. The type of soil can greatly affect the uptake and potential toxicity of fluorides.

Aluminium smelters, brickworks, phosphorus plants and fertilizer and fibreglass plants have all been shown to be sources of fluoride that are correlated with damage to local plant communities. Vegetation in the vicinity of a phosphorus plant revealed that the degree of damage and fluoride levels in soil humus were inversely related to the distance from the plant. Average levels of fluoride in vegetation ranged from 281 mg/kg in severely damaged areas to 44 mg/kg in lightly damaged areas; at a control site, the fluoride concentration was 7 mg/kg. Plant communities near an aluminium smelter showed differences in community composition and structure due partly to variations in fluoride tolerance. However, it must be noted that, in the field, one of the main problems with the identification of fluoride effects is the presence of confounding variables such as other atmospheric pollutants. Therefore, care must be taken when interpreting the many field studies on fluoride pollution.

 

[cork144]

a pdf on a test done on flouride with potted plants

http://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...serid=10&md5=2c0419617a5d89e4454c68bf9bdfa3fa


Effects of fluoride and acidity on early plant growth
References and further reading may be available for this article. To view references and further reading you must purchase this article.

J. M. Horner1 and J. N. B. Bell

Imperial College Centre for Environmental Technology, 48 Princes Gardens, London, SW7 2PE, UK

Accepted 17 May 1994. ;
Available online 29 March 2000.

Abstract

Interactions between acidity and fluoride on early growth of Lolium perenne (cultivar S23) and Triticum aestivum (cultivar ‘Perinarth’) were assessed by simple solution culture and pot experiments. Culture solution experiments demonstrated a synergistic interaction between acidity and fluoride. It is suggested that this occurred because fluoride is in non-ionic form at low pH, hence more readily taken up by cell membranes. Pot trials showed a significant effect of fluoride in two artificial soil mixtures, but no effect of simulated acid rain or any interaction. This probably reflected the buffering and fluoride fixation capacities of the soils used.

Author Keywords: Acid rain; Fluoride; Plants; Synergism

 

[cork144]

http://www.fluoridealert.org/weinstein.htm - link contains a photo of fluoride damage to a plant
--------------------------------

Examples of all of the symptoms described will be provided. This section should be read in conjunction with that on mimicking symptoms.

Fluoride-induced symptoms have been described in many reviews (Weinstein and McCune 1970; Weinstein and McCune, 1971; Thomas and Alther 1966; Brandt and Heck 1977; Treshow and Pack 1970; Guderian et al. 1969; Hindawi 1970; Thomas 1961). The most recent account, with illustrations is: Weinstein, Davison & Arndt, 1998 (Recognition of Air Pollution Injury to Vegetation, Ed. Richard B Flagler). The basis for the following description is Weinstein and McCune (1971) plus our own experience in the field in several countries.

Gaseous fluoride enters the leaf through the stomata (=pores) then it dissolves in the water permeating the cell walls. The natural flow of water in a leaf is towards the sites of greatest evaporation, which are the margins and tip. Carried by the water, the fluoride concentrates in the margins and tip so it is these areas that generally are the first to show visible injury. Clearly this concentration mechanism is one reason why fluoride is so toxic to plants but there is an important corollary; most of the leaf may have very little fluoride present and may function normally in terms of assimilation.

Generally, leaves are most sensitive when they are young and still expanding. Once fully developed they may be many times more resistant. Therefore symptoms are more often seen in young, expanding leaves. Where fumigation is periodic, symptoms may reflect this as only those leaves that are at the sensitive stage of development when the fumigation occurs will develop injury. The rate at which symptoms appear depends on the weather. There can be a considerable lag between the time of exposure to the fluoride and the development of the symptoms.

Exposure to a high concentration causes necrosis of part or even the whole of the leaf. The term necrosis comes form the Greek nekros meaning a dead body. The tissues die. The initial stages vary with species and both the speed of development of the symptoms and their appearance depend on the weather. In most monocotyledonous (narrow-leaved species including grasses and lilies) plants, the initial symptom is the development of chlorosis (= yellowing) at the tips and margins of elongating leaves. In some the tissues take on a "water-soaked" appearance that looks very like early frost injury, then the tissues desiccate and change colour. In some species the dead, necrotic areas are pale white to tan, in others they are brown and they may be black (eg in Populus spp.) or have reddish tinges. Characteristically, there is a dark brown margin along the basal part of the necrotic area. This line of demarcation is very useful in identifying multiple exposures. The necrotic area is sharply delineated from the healthy portion of the leaf blade by a narrow band of chlorotic tissue sometimes streaked with red as in some varieties of Sorghum. Dead, dry pieces of leaf may become brittle and fall off, giving the leaf a tattered appearance. This is common in Chinese apricot and Italian prune and many Populus varieties. When very young leaves are injured in this way the resulting leaf may only be a fraction of the normal size and completely mis-shaped.

Pine species (Pinus) vary greatly in sensitivity. For example, young ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) needles first exhibit a lightening in color which turns light brown to reddish-brown at the tip and progresses basipetally along the needle. The discoloration is often accompanied by narrow, dark banded zones, which may be the result of intermittent exposures to fluoride spaced at different periods. Dark bands may also occur at the interface of necrotic and healthy tissues. Needles are born in groups (2, 3, 5 depending on species). They tend to be marked to the same extent.

Although necrosis is the symptom most frequently referred to in texts, often being called tip burn, other symptoms are at least as common or, in some areas, more common. In dicotyledonous ("broad-leaved") species the initial symptom of fluoride effects on leaves is usually chlorosis of the tip, which later extends downward along the margins and inward toward the midrib. This chlorosis becomes more intense and extensive with prolonged exposure until the midrib and some veins appear as a green arborescent pattern on a chlorotic background. Continued exposure may lead to the tip becoming necrotic and falling off, leaving the leaf notched.

The symptoms produced in corn (Zea mays), Sorghum, and some other grasses begin as scattered chlorotic flecks at the tips and upper margins of middle-aged leaves. As the symptoms progress, the flecking becomes more intense and extends downward, especially along the margins. The amount of chlorosis diminishes from the tip downward and from the margins toward the midrib. A greater degree of chlorosis is usually present at the arch of the leaf and wavy areas of the margin. At high fluoride concentrations, there is less chlorotic flecking and a greater tendency for tip, marginal, and interveinal necrosis, or a transverse necrotic band at the arch of the leaf.

In young, developing leaves of broad-leaved species, and occasionally in petals, the translocation of fluoride to the margins and tips leads to a distorted shape. This may be accompanied by chlorosis at the margins and/or necrosis . This occurs because cells in the mid parts of the leaf have low fluoride and expand normally but those on the margins are slower-growing so the leaf buckles and distorts, becoming cupped and concave or convoluted like a savoy cabbage.

There is little information about the effects of fluoride on fruits but there are two important examples. Bonte & Garrec described fluoride-induced distortion of strawberry fruits (Fragaria). It was cuased by lack of fertilisation of some of the seeds, wich are responsible for hormonal-induced swelling of the fruit. Peach also shows an unusual disorder induced by fluoride called "suture red spot" or "soft suture" of the fruit. It is characterized by premature ripening of the flesh on one or both sides of the suture toward the stylar (blossom) end of the fruit (Benson 1959; MacLean et al. 1984). The ripening of this tissue considerably precedes that of the normal fruit and is often accompanied by splitting of the flesh along the suture. At harvest, the affected areas are soft and often decomposing.

Finally, although the economic value of injury to a peach crop can be claculated, it is almost impossible to calcualte or predict the effects of injury on other plants. If fluoride kills all of the leaves on a tree then there will, of course, be an effect on subsequent growth. However, apart from this very rare occurrence, there is little or no relationship between visible injury and either growth or longevity. A plant that is visibly injured is not necessarily dying and there have been some cases of spectacular recovery of trees after severe injury. Many that show a significant degree of injury (such as Populus) continue to grow at normal rates. Conversely, just because a plant does not show visible injury it does not mean that there is no effect of fluoride on assimilation or growth. Predicting the effects of fluoride is not a job to be undertaken lightly!

 

[cork144]

http://www.apsnet.org/online/feature/abiotic/nutrition.html

Fluoride. The most common micronutrient toxicity is caused by excess fluoride. The list of sensitive plants is long (e.g., Table 29 in the Compendium of Ornamental Foliage Plant Diseases). Fluoride damage is characteristic for each plant under specific conditions. The first plant found sensitive to fluoride was Cordyline terminalis (L.) Kunth (ti plant). Its typical symptoms are marginal chlorosis and necrosis, which are especially prevalent during rooting. Most species of Dracaena are damaged by excess fluoride. Probably the most widely recognized fluoride damage on a foliage plant is that of D. deremensis Engl. ‘Warneckii,’ on which elliptical necrotic lesions, usually less than 1 cm long, form in chains in the white band of tissue (Fig. 12). D. fragrans (L.) Ker-Gawl, ‘Massageana’ (corn plant) can develop dramatic marginal necrosis or dark green ring spots or mottling. Chamaedorea elegans Mart. (parlor palm) and Chrysalidocarpus lutescens H. Wendl. (areca palm) are also sensitive to fluoride (Fig. 13). Foliar tipburn and necrotic lesions on pinnae are common on parlor palm subjected to excess fluoride. Elliptical, necrotic lesions form on areca palm, often in interveinal chains. Fluoride toxicity also occurs in some Calathea spp., typically causing chlorotic and necrotic lesions on leaf margins. Toxic levels of fluoride can be produced by various sources, including superphosphate fertilizer, perlite, water, and some peats. Fluoride damage on numerous crops has been effectively reduced by the addition of dolomite or calcium hydroxide to the potting medium to increase its pH and thereby reduce the solubility of fluoride. Sensitive plants should be grown in a potting medium of pH 6.0 or more.

 

[brainlab]

alot of info there ... nice work.

 

[grow1620]

wow great work cork ++

 

[cork144]

bump

 

[cork144]

bump

 

[U.G.U]

cork144
Good thread. I have one around here also concerning this same problem. I have not gotten much feedback from anyone here or at cannabis.com. I think it may be too technical for most or maybe they just don't care. Here is a link to my thread maybe we can work together to get to the bottom of the fluoride issue.

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=153438

I have talked to 2 horticulturalists and both seem to think my problem is related to fluoride. I was suppose to get my water reports back this week I sent them to a lab for full analysis but it looks like I won't get them till Monday.