Pollutant Information: Hydrogen Fluoride 

About Hydrogen Fluoride

Category: Air pollutants

Hydrogen fluoride (HF) is, like hydrogen chloride (HCl), an acidic gas released to air from combustion of fuels that contain trace amounts of the related halogen element – in this case fluorine. Hydrogen fluoride is chemically very similar to HCl and emissions of HF display a similar source pattern to HCl, with 89% of emissions in 1990 and 69% of emissions in 2020 from the combustion of coal. As with HCl, UK emissions have decreased significantly (by 93%) since 1990 due to the declining use of coal across the UK economy. Power stations contributed two thirds of HF emissions in 1990 but only 12% in 2020. As the importance of coal has decreased, the relative contribution of other sources has grown. Most significant of these is brickmaking, which was responsible for 20% of UK emissions of HF in 2020.

» View and Download Hydrogen Fluoride emission summary data

Time series graph


Notable events

Start year End year Sector Information Impact
1984 1985 Public Electricity and Heat Production Miners strike resulting in a reduction in the consumption of coal and an increase in the consumption of alternative fuels in power stations for that year. Decrease in emissions
2009 2012 Industrial process The economic downturn has caused significant reductions in energy demands and many industries have made cut backs or closures, resulting in reduced emissions. Decrease in emissions