H. Gérald Jones

Snow as an Indicator of Atmospheric Fluoride Contamination

During the month of March 1978, 344 snow samples from the Saguenay — Lac Saint-Jean Region (Quebec) were analyzed for fluoride ion (F-). Concentrations of individual samples ranged from 50 μg 1–1, was 3,000 km2. Although the results of the present program concern short to medium range transport of fluoride within the atmosphere, it emphasizes the need for studies on the long range transport of fluoride, an important environmental pollutant. These studies should be carried out in conjunction with other anthropogenic pollutants using routine chemical analytical methods with a detection limit close to 1 μg 1–1.