Balancing Environmental Safety and Economic Feasibility: A Review of Soil Fluorine Management Strategies in South Korea

Soil naturally contains fluorine, but concerns arise when its levels or bioavailability are increased by human activities or specific compounds. South Korea faces challenges in regulating soil fluorine pollution despite implementing stricter total fluorine standards (e.g., 400 mg/kg for residential areas) than many developed countries (e.g., 4000 mg/kg for all land uses in Japan). Moreover, a recent national soil survey in Korea revealed widespread exceedance (15.2% of samples) of the Soil Worrisome Level, even in areas with naturally low background levels of fluoride. This highlights the limitations of regulations based solely on total fluorine content. This review explores the global landscape of soil fluorine management strategies and examines potential solutions that reconcile environmental protection with economic concerns. We recommend a shift towards regulating specific and hazardous fluorine compounds rather than total content and prioritizing remediation efforts based on assessments of bioavailable fluorine. This approach may help Korea establish a more effective and sustainable strategy for managing soil fluorine pollution.