Abstract
De-icing agents (ice and snow control materials) are applied to prevent ice and snow deposits on the roads in winter period. The extensive use of de-icing agents in countries with cold climate creates problems for the environment. In this study, the dynamics of de-icing salt concentrations in sod-podzolic soil was revealed in laboratory and field experiments. Twelve de-icing agents of different chemical groups (chlorides, acetates and formates) were studied. Under laboratory conditions, application of high doses of chloride reagents led to an increase of salt concentration in soil up to a level of slightly saline soils. Contaminated soils had salt levels high enough to be toxic to plants and soil microorganisms. However, under field conditions, soil salinity eventually decreased due to salt washout by atmospheric precipitation. By the end of the growing season, salt concentration corresponded to a background level. The decrease in salt concentration was accompanied by a decrease in soil toxicity. Acetate and formate de-icing agents demonstrated the least environmental effect. Our results suggest that magnesium chloride was the least harmful among the de-icers of chloride group while the most commonly used road de-icing salt sodium chloride was the most persistent and toxic to terrestrial plants and soil microbiota.
Highlights
The most sensitive components of urban environment are soils and plants
The extensive use of de-icing agents leads to soil salinization that affects plant vegetation and creates problems for the environment
The results of our study show that acetate and formate de-icers do not change soil salinity, and generally have no effect on plant growth and soil microbial activity
Summary
The most sensitive components of urban environment are soils and plants. De-icing agents are among the most environmentally hazardous (Yakubov and Nikolayevskiy, 2001; Coldsnow et al, 2017; Nutile and Solan, 2019). Many scientists have been engaged in the research of de-icing agents for decades, and they have covered various aspects of this problem. The impact and distribution of de-icing salt in soils have been studied in the North America (Cain, 2001; Jacobi et al, 2009), European and Asian countries (Yakubov and Nikolayevskiy, 2001; Soundararajan et al, 2019; Ke et al, 2019). Different properties of soils contaminated with de-icing agents are investigated (TRB, 2008; Vasil’yev, 2008)
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