Fluorine Content in Soils of River Valleys in the Baraba Lowland

The distribution of fluorine in soils of three valleys within the basins of Chulym, Kargat, and Karasuk rivers in the Baraba Lowland was studied. Using a basin-based approach, the data on fluorine content was obtained for zonal and intrazonal soils formed in various geochemical positions of the relief. In the studied soils, the total content of fluorine varied from 163.3 to 623.2 mg/kg, and its water-soluble form varied from 0.3 to 22.8 mg/kg. In soils formed in the eluvial positions of catenas, the content of total and water-soluble fluorine was lower than in soils located topographically lower. A close correlation between the fluorine content and the particle-size composition of soils was registered, and a positive correlation was also revealed between the total and water-soluble fluorine content and the soil alkalinity. In the studied soils, the total fluorine content exceeded insignificantly the permissible limit of 500 mg/kg, and the amount of its most mobile water-soluble species did not exceed MPC in the eluvial horizons; therefore, we concluded about the ecological safety of the studied soils.