Authored by Zachary Waszczak
Winter Salt Week
Winter Salt Week is a week dedicated to spreading awareness about the effects of excess road salt on our freshwater sources. This year Winter Salt Awareness Week is January 26th – January 30th. The occasion is marked by organizations hosting learning events, educating businesses and local governments about appropriate road salt use, and posting educational infographics online. This year CHEMetrics is participating with this blog post!
The Dangers of Excess Salt
Winter Salt Week becomes a larger event each year as more communities become concerned about the salinity levels of their waterways. According to one study conducted by the University of Maryland
“37 percent of the drainage area of the contiguous United States experienced a significant increase in salinity” over the past 50 years.
High concentrations of salt in freshwater is harmful to the environment, impacts drinking water quality, and is costly in unexpected ways.
Environmental Effects of Road Salt
The most common winter salt used is sodium chloride (NaCl) because it is low-cost and readily available. Sodium chloride turns into the cation Na+ and the anion Cl– when dissolved in water. The negative chloride ion interferes with many biological processes for aquatic animals causing health issues like stunted growth or reproductive problems. This means that chloride levels do not need to reach a lethal level to have an impact on the environment. Even small increases in chloride concentration can affect the growth and development of aquatic plants and animals.
Winter Salt Harms Drinking Water Sources
The rock salt spread on roads does not just disappear once the snow is gone. The salt dissolves into the melted snow and enters bodies of freshwater or infiltrates through the ground into groundwater and wells. The salt not only impacts the taste of the water, the higher sodium levels can be harmful to people with high blood pressure. Once the salt enters the water source, removing it is very expensive.
The Hidden Cost of Rock Salt
The salt used on roads may be low-cost up front, but many organizations are realizing a hidden cost to salt. Rock salt is corrosive and causes damage to concrete and metal over time. Everything from bridges, cars, roads, and even water pipes in the ground are impacted by the corrosion from excess salt. This leads to expenses in repairs or preventative maintenance.
Managing Salt Use
Rock salt is useful for keeping our roads safe during winter weather but can be damaging to the environment. However, there are ways we can work to mitigate the damage.
Using Brine Instead of Rock Salt
One way to reduce the amount of salt is to find ways to use salt more efficiently. The easiest alternative is the use of brine rather than solid salt. Brine is water with salt dissolved into it. When brine is spread onto pavement it prevents a bond forming between the snow and pavement. Since it is a liquid, it stays where it is applied. Traffic and wind cannot displace it. By dissolving the salt in water, you can cover a wider area with the same amount of salt.
Calibrating Salt Application Equipment
The salt applicators on the back of salt trucks are pieces of equipment that require calibration. Without proper calibration it is impossible to tell how much salt is being applied during operation. This can cause over-application which wastes money and pollutes water. Ensuring that salt applicators have appropriately calibrated equipment can keep salt out of our waterways.
Sodium Chloride Alternatives
Many researches are looking for alternatives to rock salt. Salts besides sodium chloride are already commercially available, like magnesium chloride (MgCl2) and calcium chloride (CaCl2), but these salts are much more expensive. More extreme alternatives are being researched like the use of beet juice and coffee grounds.
How Can I Help Manage Salt Use?
Working with local governments and businesses is critical to controlling salt pollution, but there is a lot individuals can do as well! These tips from Only Rain, an organization run by the Northern Virginia Clean Water Partners, are great for managing your own salt use.
Shovel Snow First
Salt is most effective when it is applied before the snow lands. For lighter snowstorms salt may not be necessary.
Use the Right Amount of Salt
It takes less salt to protect your walkway than you might realize. A 12-ounce coffee mug of salt is enough to cover ten sidewalk squares.
Sweep Up Excess Rock Salt
After the weather has passed you can sweep up the extra salt and reuse it. This will prevent pollution and save you money.
Don’t Use Salt for Traction
Using salt just for traction is wasteful. Consider using native bird seed or sand instead. This is environmentally friendly and prevents salt pollution.
Monitoring Salt Pollution in Water
Preventing salt from entering water is the primary concern of Winter Salt Week, but monitoring salt pollution is critical as well. Many scientists, citizen science groups, and environmental groups measure chloride, salinity, and conductivity of bodies of water as a way of measuring salt pollution. All these parameters would increase as a result of salt pollution. Testing samples from local bodies of water over time can determine the impact of winter salt applications.
Salt Pollution Test Kits
CHEMetrics offers several products to help monitor salt pollution. CHEMetrics water test kits provide rapid results within minutes and require minimal training. They are a great fit for volunteer groups in the field or veteran scientists in the lab.
- Chloride tests come in visual Titrets® test kits or instrumental Vacu-Vials®. Both of which are convenient for field use.
- CHEMetrics offers the CTSTetr™ by Oakton Instruments for salinity and conductivity measurements. This meter measures conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), and salinity with one convenient handheld meter.
- While not sodium chloride, Glycol is a common deicer used at airports and can similarly run off and pollute waterways. CHEMetrics K-4815 tests can measure both ethylene glycol and propylene glycol in a convenient visual test.
These tests kits and much more are available from CHEMetrics and AquaPhoenix Scientific. Whether you need complete test kits, consumables, glassware, or educational materials we can meet your needs. Visit our online store today or contact us for assistance or custom orders.
Have a wonderful Winter Salt Week and stay #SaltSmart!