By Industrial Sector: Hydrogen Fluoride Releases,1995-2016
Before we list the Toxic Release Inventory’s information on the releases of Hydrogen fluoride (also called Hydrofluoric acid) by industrial sector, we want to share some information on this highly toxic inorganic acid. In 1993, EPA released the Hydrogen Fluoride Study, Report to Congress which stated,
Exposure to HF can cause injury through inhalation, direct contact, or ingestion. HF is particularly caustic to tissue and exposure may require special treatment. HF is one of the more corrosive and toxic industrial chemicals…”
According to the 2003 Toxicological Profile for Fluorides, Hydrogen Fluoride, and Fluorine by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry:
… Commercially, hydrogen fluoride is the most important fluorine compound. Its largest use is in the manufacture of fluorocarbons, which are used as refrigerants, solvents, and aerosols (page 2).
… Coal contains small amounts of fluorine, and coal-fired power plants constitute the largest source of anthropogenic hydrogen fluoride emissions… Major sources of industrial fluoride emissions are aluminum production plants and phosphate fertilizer plants (page 203).
… Populations living near industrial sources of fluoride may be exposed to higher levels of fluorides in the air they breathe. Vegetables and fruits grown near such sources may contain higher levels of fluorides particularly from fluoride-containing dust settling on the plant. Populations exposed to relatively high concentrations of fluoride include workers in fluoride-processing industries and individuals residing near such industries. Similarly, populations living near hazardous waste sites may also be exposed to high levels of fluoride by analogous routes (page 206).
… In the atmosphere, gaseous hydrogen fluoride will be absorbed by atmospheric water (rain, clouds, fog, snow) forming an aerosol or fog of aqueous hydrofluoric acid. It will be removed from the atmosphere primarily by wet deposition. Particulate fluorides are similarly removed from the atmosphere and deposited on land or surface water by wet and dry deposition (page 205).
… The major natural source of hydrogen fluoride emissions to the atmosphere is volcanoes. These emissions are estimated to range from 0.6 to 6 million metric tons per year… Passive degassing of volcanoes is a major source of tropospheric hydrogen fluoride (page 209).
… Upon release to the atmosphere, fluorine gas will readily react to form hydrogen fluoride. Both hydrogen fluoride and particulate fluorides will be transported in the atmosphere and deposited on land or water by wet and dry deposition (page 238).
… The most important use of hydrogen fluoride is in the production of fluorocarbon chemicals, including hydrofluorocarbons, hydrofluorochlorocarbons, and fluoropolymers; 60% of production is used for this purpose (page 199).
Not included in the TRI are the fluoride chemicals, including Hydrogen fluoride (HF), that are used in fracking. HF is used “to dissolve underground rock formations”. According to a report from the Center for Biological Diversity,
“Health effects include damage to the skin, eyes and other sensory organs, respiratory system, gastrointestinal system and liver, brain and nervous system, immune system, kidneys, cardiovascular system and reproductive system; mutagen and developmental inhibitor.”
- 2001 U.S. Congress, Committee on Energy & Commerce, Minority Report
- 2013 report by Robert Collier on the use of hydrofluoric acid in a “technique, already widely in use in the oil industry, known as ‘acidizing.'”
The following data comes from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) for HF releases. Hydrogen fluoride is a major source of fluoride entering the U.S. environment according to TRI. These releases pollute our bodies, air, water, soil, and wildlife. It’s important to emphasize, especially at the community level, that not all industries or sources that release fluoride into the environment are included in the TRI.
About the Tables below:
- Releases: On- and Off-site releases as reported on TRI’s forms. This amount does not include quantities of the toxic chemical that were the result of a catastrophic event, remedial action or other, one-time event not associated with production.
- Wastes: This includes the On- and Off-site Releases (above) and the sum of recycled on-site, recycled off-site, energy recovery on-site, energy recovery off-site, treated on-site, treated off-site, and quantities disposed of or otherwise released on- and off-site as reported on TRI’s forms.
- Not included are the other fluoride compounds tracked by TRI.
- The quantities listed below change as TRI frequently updates its data. However, the changes are generally not significant.
Rank by Industrial Sector for Hydrogen Fluoride Releases in 2010-2015
Category (TRI Code) |
2010 In Pounds |
2012 In Pounds |
2014 In Pounds |
2015 In Pounds |
2016 In Pounds |
Coal-fired electric utilities (NAICS 2211) |
Releases= 30,564,185 Wastes= 95,760,703 |
Releases= 21,590,813 Wastes= 81,872,956 |
Releases= 15,766,413 Wastes= 84,395,448 |
Releases= 12,296,177 Wastes = 60,411,985 |
Releases= 9,084,392 Wastes = 52,679,789 |
Hazardous Waste (NAICS 562) |
Releases= 3,778,236 Wastes= 8,064,422 |
Releases= 1,722,675 Wastes= 3,047,040 |
Releases= 1,687,655 Wastes= 3,242,666 |
Releases= 2,791,772 Wastes= 4,770,343 |
Releases= 2,017,136 Wastes = 3,832,995 |
Primary Metals (NAICS 331) |
Releases= 3,138,273 Wastes= 82,258,014 |
Releases= 2,439,878 Wastes= 86,176,903 |
Releases= 2,758,751 Wastes= 86,130,416 |
Releases= 2,243,541 Wastes= 84,166,646 |
Releases= 958,013 Wastes = 58,007,492 |
Nonmetallic Mineral Product (Stone/Clay/Glass) (NAICS 327) |
Releases= 1,599,043 Wastes= 6,000,822 |
Releases= 2,577,851 Wastes= 7,219,331 |
Releases= 1,466,566 Wastes= 5,299,517 |
Releases= 1,762,308 Wastes= 5,723,945 |
Releases= 1,792,656 Wastes = 5,892,336 |
Chemicals (NAICS 325) |
Releases= 4,556,839 Wastes= 32,707,955 |
Releases= 4,728,825 Wastes= 199,012 |
Releases= 4,525,517 Wastes= 46,115,383 |
Releases= 4,414,296 Wastes= 42,575,702 |
Releases= 3,507,451 Wastes = 34,731,585 |
Petroleum (NAICS 324) |
Releases= 412,728 Wastes= 10,298,643 |
Releases= 93,516 Wastes= 12,560,476 |
Releases= 93,246 Wastes= 9,769,609 |
Releases= 66,522 Wastes= 11,560,926 |
Releases= 30,805 Wastes = 12,920,910 |
Paper (NAICS 322) |
Releases= 230,968 Wastes= 298,050 |
Releases= 206,020 Wastes= 277,254 |
Releases= 208,662 Wastes= 263,617 |
Releases= 192,893 Wastes= 246,280 |
Releases= 140,717 Wastes = 161,143 |
Food/Beverages/Tobacco | Releases= 173,421 Wastes= 646,923 |
Releases= 70,110 Wastes= 570,557 |
Releases= 139,545 Wastes= 749,605 |
Releases= 71,504 Wastes= 649,551 |
Food Releases= 64,929 Wastes = 600,472 |
Computers/ Electronic Products (NAICS 334) |
Releases= 324,676 Wastes= 8,330,318 |
Releases= 129,773 Wastes= 9,353,666 |
Releases= 140,476 Wastes= 9,128,681 |
Releases= 132,542 Wastes= 10,174,642 |
Releases= 149,481 Wastes = 10,248,529 |
Fabricated Metals (NAICS 332) |
Releases= 53,150 Wastes= 1,445,314 |
Releases= 199,680 Wastes= 1,503,221 |
Releases= 185,908 Wastes= 441,910 |
Releases= 195,818 Wastes= 1,100,253 |
Releases= 200,061 Wastes = 1,290,452 |
Other (NAICS 999) |
Releases= 125,245 Wastes= 202,846 |
Releases= 145,977 Wastes= 163,559 |
Releases= 197,203 Wastes= 267,314 |
Releases= 89,007 Wastes= 127,049 |
Releases= 62,579 Wastes = 62,579 |
Metal Mining (NAICS 2122) |
Releases= 25,926 Wastes= 30,258 |
Releases= 32,267 Wastes= 37,340 |
Releases= 35,577 Wastes= 41,872 |
Releases= 31,871 Wastes= 37,644 |
Releases= 33,046 Wastes = 37,546 |
Transportation Equipment (NAICS 336) |
Releases= 19,142 Wastes= 667,011 |
Releases= 25,002 Wastes= 776,953 |
Releases= 59,005 Wastes= 974,929 |
Releases= 59,093 Wastes= 178,102 |
Releases= 50,064 Wastes = 911,013 |
Chemical Wholesalers (NAICS 4246) |
Releases= 545 Wastes= 36,142 |
Releases= 533 Wastes= 21,054 |
Releases= 318 Wastes= 17,932 |
Releases= 1,278 Wastes= 17,176 |
Releases= 1,988 Wastes = 8,683 |
Machinery (NAICS 333) |
Releases= 188 Wastes= 28,091 |
Releases= 637 Wastes= 100,681 |
Releases= 532 Wastes= 74,885 |
Releases= 20,912 Wastes= 38,951 |
Releases= 4,633 Wastes = 14,747 |
TOTALS |
Releases= 45,002,564 Wastes= 246,775,513 |
Releases= 33,439,710 Wastes= 234,896,132 |
Releases= 27,287,778 Wastes= 247,746,195 |
Releases= 24,403,880 Wastes= 234,964,442 |
Releases= 17,715,977 Wastes = 195,100,220 |
Rank by Industry for Hydrogen Fluoride Releases: 2002-2008
Category | 2002 Pounds Released |
2004 Pounds Released |
2006 Pounds Released |
2008 Pounds Released |
Coal-fired electric utilities | 58,389,049 | 59,793,528 | 59,662,311 | 50,919,285 |
Hazardous Waste | 5,455,931 | 3,703,305 | 3,175,534 | 5,327,117 |
Primary Metals | 3,130,455 | 2,945,236 | 3,517,126 | 3,469,508 |
Nonmetallic Mineral Product (Stone/Clay/Glass) |
6,084,293 | 6,383,665 | 5,235,146 | 2,416,646 |
Chemicals | 1,378,530 | 1,191,994 | 1,829,918 | 1,574,998 |
Petroleum | 291,481 | 299,603 | 325,388 | 487,575 |
Paper | 415,739 | 351,698 | 325,892 | 308,886 |
Food/Beverages/Tobacco | 351,770 | 900,418 | 335,179 | 227,312 |
Computers/ Electronic Products |
113,845 | 128,814 | 120,708 | 184,636 |
Fabricated Metals | 90,809 | 23,988 | 42,410 | 67,178 |
No TRI Code | 29,163 | 779,549 | 27,316 | 33,106 |
Metal Mining | 22,725 | 25,331 | 25,445 | 26,853 |
Transportation Equipment | 47,252 | 23,932 | 22,418 | 19,993 |
Chemical Wholesalers | 736 | 803 | 1,267 | 1,685 |
Cement | 886 | 816 | 179 | 767 |
Coal Mining | 111,505 | 71,328 | 28,657 | – |
Machinery | 659 | 729 | 224 | 201 |
TOTALS |
Releases= 76,496,294 Wastes= 341,277,201 |
Releases= 77,360,098 Wastes= 304,340,518 |
Releases= 74,675,025 Wastes= 295,878,581 |
Releases= 65,592,917 Wastes= 299,083,601 |
Rank by Industry for Hydrogen Fluoride Releases: 1994-2000
Category | 1994 Pounds Released |
1996 Pounds Released |
1998 Pounds Released |
2000 Pounds Released |
Coal-fired electric utilities |
Not listed | Not listed | 63,629,042 | 57,987,784 |
Hazardous Waste | Not listed | Not listed |
2,937,867 | 4,779,580 |
Primary Metals | 5,362,124 | 5,769,184 | 7,034,692 | 4,620,120 |
Nonmetallic Mineral Product (Stone/Clay/Glass) |
2,139,674 | 5,976,663 | 6,196,041 | 6,238,802 |
Chemicals | 1,038,833 | 1,197,840 | 1,141,127 | 1,297,329 |
Petroleum | 606,617 | 418,100 | 331,494 | 332,283 |
Paper | 144,618 | 308,421 | 583,960 | 490,782 |
Food/Beverages/Tobacco | 163,276 | 308,421 | 422,131 | 341,939 |
Computers/ Electronic Products |
175,129 | 197,552 | 151,640 | 132,818 |
Fabricated Metals | 55,909 | 41,448 | 33,255 | 56,125 |
No TRI Code | 2,171 | 2,620 | 650 | 28,487 |
Metal Mining | Not listed | Not listed | 44,075 | 34,363 |
Transportation Equipment | 46,307 | 18,096 | 75,863 | 104,407 |
Chemical Wholesalers | Not listed | Not listed | 352 | 410 |
Cement | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
Coal Mining | Not listed | Not listed | 645,368 | 406,182 |
Machinery | 765 | 503 | 578 | 822 |
TOTALS |
Releases= 9,738,871 Wastes= 197,005,836 |
Releases= 13,938,528 Wastes= 240,831,307 |
Releases= 76,551,752 Wastes= 369,598,342 |
Releases= 76,689,852 Wastes= 409,062,613 |
