Abstract: Coal resource is rich and water resource is scare in the Shendong coal mining area.High fluoride (F-) mine water has become a restricted factor for its recycling and utilization.However,the spatial distribution,source,and enrichment mechanisms of fluoride have not been fully understood.In this study,62 water samples were collected from the Shendong coal mining area,Shanxi,China.Samples were analyzed to investigate the distribution,geochemical behavior,and formation mechanisms of fluoride by the correlation analysis,statistics and ions ration analysis combined with geological and hydrogeological conditions.The results show that the F-concentrations in the mine water samples range from 0.16 to 12.75 mg/L,with a mean value of 5.01 mg/L.About 77.78% of the mine water samples exceed China’s national standards (1.00 mg/L) of F-concentration.The F-concentrations in the mine water is generally higher in the northwest and lower in the southeast of Shendong coal mining area.The high F-mine water is mainly distributed in the Buertai and Wulan Mulun mines and in the depth of 150-300 m,respectively.The F-in the mine water is enriched in a water environment with high alkaline,high TDS,Na+,HCO-3 and low Ca2+content.The Yan’an groundwater is the main F-source of high F-mine water.The weathering of F-bearing minerals is the main source of F-in the mine water.Precipitation of dolomite and calcite reduces the Ca2+ content and promotes the dissolution of fluorite,generating an elevated F-content.The cation exchange contributes to the increase of Na+ content and the high HCO-3 environment reduces the adsorption capability of minerals,which promote the leaching of F-into the mine water.Whereas,the evaporation and anthropogenic activities effect can be ignored.