Abstract
A German gherkin experiment When winter comes, streets crunch underfoot with salt and grit, laid down to lower the freezing point of water. But while most road salt is mined especially for that purpose, the German state of Bavaria has found an unusual source for some of its salt: Gurkenwasser, the brine from pickling gherkins. The Bavarian transport ministry is responsible for treating a total of 23,000 km of autobahns and streets. This creates a bit of a pickle—treating the streets in winter uses a lot of salt, which has both an economic and an environmental cost. Excess salt may run off into groundwater and surface water, so the ministry uses blends of brine and granular salt to reduce waste. At warmer temperatures, wet mixes help the salt stick to where it’s needed. This year, a pilot project will source some of that brine from a local company that makes
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
