Application Of Deicing Salts Research Articles

Biogeochemical assessment of the urban area in Moscow.

The biogeochemical and ecological assessment of the industrial city territory including urban soils and trees was carried out. Chemical (macroelement and microelement) composition of the city soils, morphological and biochemical properties of the linden leaves, possible impact of de-icing salts on soil and tree state, the correlation between the content of trace elements, and the S-containing plant compounds (phytochelatins) were included in the assessment. It was found that concentrations of trace elements in the soils near road with intensive traffic are changed from the soils, located at a distance of 40-50m from the road. They have higher concentrations of As, Fe, Mn, Se, and Sr and lower concentration of Zn. The linden leaves from the roadside were characterized by the increase in As, Cu, Fe, Zn, and Cr and sharp decrease in the Mn and Sr concentrations. The analysis of soil water extracts showed a slight decrease of pH and low content of Ca, Mg, K, and Na for the distant sites. The phytochelatin test of linden leaves was weakly effective as well as asymmetry degree study of leaf lamina. The main differences were observed in the damage symptoms of leaves (chlorosis and necrosis) and the content of pigments (chlorophyll and carotenoids). The biochemical and ecological assessment of soils and trees showed relatively satisfactory ecological state of the investigated area in Moscow. The data obtained shows the weak local impact of the application of de-icing salts and automobile emissions.

Long-term impact of road salt (NaCl) on soil and urban trees in Edmonton, Canada

The application of de-icing salts for winter road maintenance is recognized as a major contributor to the decline of urban trees. We conducted a long-term monitoring program across several locations in the City of Edmonton (Alberta, Canada) to evaluate the impact of roadway salt application on tree species widely planted in boulevards and right-of-ways: Ulmus americana, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Pinus contorta, and Picea glauca. Soil and leaf samples were collected from a total of 16 sites over six years. There were four sites selected for each tree species: three mid- to high- traffic roadside sites that received regular winter maintenance and one non-serviced site (control). Sampling was performed three times per year from late spring to late summer. Airborne salinity was assessed in four locations at different distances from the road. In 50% of the roadside sites, soil electrical conductivity (EC) values exceeded 2dSm−1. Soil pH in all of the roadside sites was also significantly higher than in the control sites, with values ranging from 7.6 to 8.5. In all four species, trees growing in sites with high soil EC had increased leaf Na concentrations and reduced leaf chlorophyll concentrations. Among the airborne monitoring sites, Na deposition in high traffic locations was over four-fold higher than those measured in the control location. Furthermore, Na levels remained relatively high at 20–50m from the main road. Our data suggest that while soil salinity is among the main stressors affecting roadside trees in Edmonton, salt spray deposition may also have a significant impact on trees located close to high vehicle traffic areas and dense road networks. Our study highlights the importance of collecting data over several years and from multiple locations to account for the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the urban environments in order to better evaluate the impact of road salt application on urban trees.

Potential of anthracite, dolomite, limestone and pozzolan as reactive media for de-icing salt removal from road runoff

De-icing salt (NaCl) application is a common practice during winter road maintenance in northern countries, compromising ecosystem services. Ecoengineering facilities, including reactive filter beds, are becoming an effective strategy for road runoff management. Different materials (anthracite coal, dolomite, limestone, and pozzolan) were tested as reactive media of filter beds. Characterization showed that dolomite has the best physical properties (resistance to fragmentation, porosity) for filter bed construction and maintenance, followed by limestone. NaCl removal efficiency was investigated in batch at different concentrations (150–5000 mg L−1 Cl). Removal efficiency substantially varied depending on the element (Cl or Na), the material, and the added NaCl concentration. At the lowest NaCl concentration, Cl removal was higher onto anthracite (48 %) and dolomite (59 %); but greater Na removal was reached onto limestone (54 %) and pozzolan (67 %). At higher concentrations, Cl removal was similar (anthracite), decreased (dolomite), or increased (limestone, pozzolan); and Na removal increased (anthracite) or decreased (dolomite, limestone, pozzolan). Parallel experiments at 4 °C showed lower NaCl removal, anthracite being the most efficient. Practical applicability was evaluated in columns using synthetic runoff solution (NaCl and metals). NaCl removal efficiency was much lower in column assays with respect to batch. The highest NaCl removal was reached onto dolomite, followed by limestone. Metals were successfully removed, generally remaining over time in a wide range (41–89 % Cd, 78–97 % Ni, 44–88 % Cu, and 3–83 % Zn) depending on the material, being pozzolan the least efficient. Further studies including a combination of materials would be of high interest.

Heavy metal removal mechanisms of sorptive filter materials for road runoff treatment and remobilization under de-icing salt applications

The objective of this research study was to elucidate the removal and remobilization behaviors of five heavy metals (i.e., Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) that had been fixed onto sorptive filter materials used in decentralized stormwater treatment systems receiving traffic area runoff. Six filter materials (i.e., granular activated carbon, a mixture of granular activated alumina and porous concrete, granular activated lignite, half-burnt dolomite, and two granular ferric hydroxides) were evaluated in column experiments. First, a simultaneous preloading with the heavy metals was performed for each filter material. Subsequently, the remobilization effect was tested by three de-icing salt experiments in duplicate using pure NaCl, a mixture of NaCl and CaCl2, and a mixture of NaCl and MgCl2. Three layers of each column were separated to specify the attenuation of heavy metals as a function of depth. Cu and Pb were retained best by most of the selected filter materials, and Cu was often released the least of all metals by the three de-icing salts. The mixture of NaCl and CaCl2 resulted in a stronger effect upon remobilization than the other two de-icing salts. For the material with the highest retention, the effect of the preloading level upon remobilization was measured. The removal mechanisms of all filter materials were determined by advanced laboratory methods. For example, the different intrusions of heavy metals into the particles were determined. Findings of this study can result in improved filter materials used in decentralized stormwater treatment systems.

Long-term ferrocyanide application via deicing salts promotes the establishment of Actinomycetales assimilating ferrocyanide-derived carbon in soil.

SummaryCyanides are highly toxic and produced by various microorganisms as defence strategy or to increase their competitiveness. As degradation is the most efficient way of detoxification, some microbes developed the capability to use cyanides as carbon and nitrogen source. However, it is not clear if this potential also helps to lower cyanide concentrations in roadside soils where deicing salt application leads to significant inputs of ferrocyanide. The question remains if biodegradation in soils can occur without previous photolysis. By conducting a microcosm experiment using soils with/without pre‐exposition to road salts spiked with 13C‐labelled ferrocyanide, we were able to confirm biodegradation and in parallel to identify bacteria using ferrocyanide as C source via DNA stable isotope probing (DNA‐SIP), TRFLP fingerprinting and pyrosequencing. Bacteria assimilating 13C were highly similar in the pre‐exposed soils, belonging mostly to Actinomycetales (Kineosporia, Mycobacterium, Micromonosporaceae). In the soil without pre‐exposition, bacteria belonging to Acidobacteria (Gp3, Gp4, Gp6), Gemmatimonadetes (Gemmatimonas) and Gammaproteobacteria (Thermomonas, Xanthomonadaceae) used ferrocyanide as C source but not the present Actinomycetales. This indicated that (i) various bacteria are able to assimilate ferrocyanide‐derived C and (ii) long‐term exposition to ferrocyanide applied with deicing salts leads to Actinomycetales outcompeting other microorganisms for the use of ferrocyanide as C source.

Highway deicing salt dynamic runoff to surface water and subsequent infiltration to groundwater during severe UK winters

Dynamic impact to the water environment of deicing salt application at a major highway (motorway) interchange in the UK is quantitatively evaluated for two recent severe UK winters. The contaminant transport pathway studied allowed controls on dynamic highway runoff and storm-sewer discharge to a receiving stream and its subsequent leakage to an underlying sandstone aquifer, including possible contribution to long-term chloride increases in supply wells, to be evaluated. Logged stream electrical-conductivity (EC) to estimate chloride concentrations, stream flow, climate and motorway salt application data were used to assess salt fate. Stream loading was responsive to salt applications and climate variability influencing salt release. Chloride (via EC) was predicted to exceed the stream Environmental Quality Standard (250mg/l) for 33% and 18% of the two winters. Maximum stream concentrations (3500mg/l, 15% sea water salinity) were ascribed to salt-induced melting and drainage of highway snowfall without dilution from, still frozen, catchment water. Salt persistance on the highway under dry-cold conditions was inferred from stream observations of delayed salt removal. Streambed and stream-loss data demonstrated chloride infiltration could occur to the underlying aquifer with mild and severe winter stream leakage estimated to account for 21 to 54% respectively of the 70t of increased chloride (over baseline) annually abstracted by supply wells. Deicing salt infiltration lateral to the highway alongside other urban/natural sources were inferred to contribute the shortfall. Challenges in quantifying chloride mass/fluxes (flow gauge accuracy at high flows, salt loading from other roads, weaker chloride-EC correlation at low concentrations), may be largely overcome by modest investment in enhanced data acquisition or minor approach modification. The increased understanding of deicing salt dynamic loading to the water environment obtained is relevant to improved groundwater resource management, highway salt application practice, surface-water - ecosystem management, and decision making on highway drainage to ground.

Seasonal Variability in Stormwater Quality Treatment of Permeable Pavements Situated Over Heavy Clay and in a Cold Climate

Permeable pavements mitigate the impacts of urbanization on surface waters through pollutant load reduction, both by sequestration of pollutants and stormwater volume reduction through exfiltration. This study examined the non-winter water quality performance of two side-by-side permeable pavements in the Ohio snowbelt. The permeable interlocking concrete pavements were designed to drain impervious catchments 2.2 (large) and 7.2 (small) times larger than their surface area, were located over clay soils, and incorporated the internal water storage design feature. Nutrient reduction was similar to past studies—organic nitrogen and particulate phosphorus were removed through filtration and settling, while dissolved constituents received little treatment. Because of 16 and 32 % volume reductions in the small and large installations, respectively, nutrient loads were often significantly reduced but generally by less than 50 %. Aluminum, calcium, iron, magnesium, lead, chloride, and total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations and loads often increased after passing through the permeable pavements; effluent TSS loads were three- to five-fold higher than influent TSS loads. This was apparently due to seasonal release of clay- and silt-sized particles from the soils underlying the permeable pavement and inversely related to elapsed time since winter. The application of de-icing salt is thought to have caused deflocculation of the underlying soils, allowing particulates to exit with stormwater as it discharged from the underdrain of the permeable pavements. By autumn, both permeable pavements discharged metals and TSS concentrations similar to others in the literature, suggesting the de-icing effects lasted 3–6 months post-winter. Sodium may substantially affect the performance of permeable pavements following winter de-icing salt application, particularly when 2:1 clay minerals, such as vermiculites and smectites, predominate.

Mobilization of arsenic, lead, and mercury under conditions of sea water intrusion and road deicing salt application

Water geochemistry data from complexly designed salt-solution injection experiments in the laboratory, coastal aquifers of Bangladesh and Italy, taken from the literature, and two salted watersheds of New Jersey, US were collected and analyzed to study the geochemical mechanisms that mobilize As, Pb, and Hg under varied salting conditions. Overall, increased NaCl-concentrations in aquifers and soil are found to increase the release of Pb and Hg into the water. Reducing environments and possible soil dispersion by hydrated Na+ are found to lead to an increase of As-concentration in water. However, the application of a pure NaCl salt solution in the column injection experiment was found to release less As, Pb, and Hg initially from the soil and delay their concentration increase, when compared to the application of CaCl2 and NaCl mixed salts (at 6:4 weight ratio). The concentration correlation dendrogram statistical analyses of the experimental and field data suggest that the release of As, Hg, and Pb into groundwater and the soil solution depends not only on the salt level and content, but also on the redox condition, dissolved organic matter contents, competitiveness of other ions for exchange sites, and source minerals. With the ongoing over-exploration of coastal aquifers from increased pumping, continued sea-level rise, and increased winter deicing salt applications in salted watersheds of many inland regions, the results of this study will help understand the complex relation between the concentrations of As, Pb, and Hg and increased salt level in a coastal aquifer and in soils of a salted watershed.

Establishing realistic management objectives for urban lakes using paleolimnological techniques: an example from Halifax Region (Nova Scotia, Canada)

To determine pre-disturbance limnological conditions, evaluate the impact of environmental stressors (surface water acidification, nutrient inputs, climate change, and winter deicing salt), and set realistic recovery targets for lake management strategies, a rapid assessment paleolimnological approach was used to determine the amount (and likely causes) of environmental changes over the past ∼100–150 years in 51 urban lakes from Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada). Diatom assemblages from lake sediment cores were used with “top” (recently deposited, surface) samples being matched to measured limnological conditions, and “bottom” (generally from >15 cm deep) samples used to infer pre-disturbance limnological conditions such as pH, total phosphorus (TP), specific conductance, and shifts due to changing climatic conditions. Environmental change was assessed by calculating the metric of change in species composition between present-day and pre-disturbance diatom assemblages, and inferences from quantitative estimates of diatom-inferred pH, specific conductance, and TP. All 51 study lakes have experienced floristic changes in diatom species composition since pre-disturbance times, but different environmental stressors were implicated: 8 of the 51 lakes underwent significant (i.e., >2 times the root mean-squared error [2X RMSE] of the inference model) decreases in diatom-inferred pH; 8 lakes had significant increases in diatom-inferred TP; and 19 otherwise relatively pristine lakes had increases in planktonic taxa consistent with observations linked to changes in lake seasonality and limnological changes most closely linked to climate warming in Nova Scotia and other regions. The remaining 16 lakes did not have large and consistent changes in diatom flora or changes in diatom-inferred TP or pH >2X RMSE of the prediction of the models. Lake-specific factors were related to these inferences, and the lakes that acidified were mainly the currently most acidic sites, whereas those that experienced issues related to eutrophication were generally among the most alkaline sites. Of our 51 lakes, 22 (including some experiencing pH, TP, or showing floristic changes linked to climate changes) had increases in measured conductivity (1980–2002) and, correspondingly, increased relative abundances of halophilic diatom taxa. These lakes, often with catchments containing high surface areas of impervious surfaces, are examples of a trend of increasing salinity in northeastern North American lakes likely related to winter application of deicing (road) salt. The application of this paleolimnological approach enabled us to identify which lakes have undergone significant changes in diatom assemblages, as well as which environmental stressor(s) were most probable. This information can help lake managers develop more targeted and effective management strategies.

Seed Ratios for Optimum Turf Quality of Mixtures of Kentucky Bluegrass, Creeping Red Fescue, and Alkaligrass Subjected to Deicing Salts

Deicing salts often are applied to sidewalks and roadways to enhance pedestrian and driving safety during freezing weather. For example, in eastern North Dakota, average annual snow days and amount are 29 days and 40 inches, respectively. This study was conducted in Fargo, ND, to investigate the population dynamics of turfgrass mixtures composed of kentucky bluegrass [KB (Poa pratensis)], creeping red fescue [RF (Festuca rubra)], and alkaligrass [ALK (Puccinellia sp.)] with the goal of optimizing turf quality by selecting seed ratios containing these species in home lawn mixtures and subject to frequent applications of deicing salts. A total of 21 mixtures were generated based on simplex-lattice design with KB, ALK, and RF contributing to 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100% of their respective full-seeding rate of 150, 150, and 300 lb/acre, respectively, after pure live seed (PLS) adjustment. The mixtures were tested at annual deicing salt rates of 0, 160, 320 lb/acre, which represent typical application. The results showed that the botanical component of the stands of grasses shifted over a 2-year period for all salt levels. Despite the good salinity tolerance of ALK reported elsewhere, it did not contribute to the improvement of turf quality in mixtures receiving deicing salts at 320 lb/acre per year. Therefore, ALK is not recommended for lawn, but mixing KB and RF in 48% and 52% of their respective full-seeding rates was recommended for areas adjacent to deicing salt applications.

Deicing Salts; Assessing Distribution, Ion Accumulation in Plants and the Response of Plants to Different Loading Rates and Salt Mixtures

Deicing salts applied to mountain roads during winter periods provide safe driving conditions but these salts are eventually displaced to roadside areas where they can negatively impact soils, vegetation and water resources. The aim of this study was to confirm the linkage between deicing salt applications and salt accumulation in plants and salt accumulation in soils as a function of distance from roads. We also wantedto determine whether altering the deicing salt composition would lead to a more favorable plant response. In the Mt. Charleston area of southern Nevada, NaCl was applied by the State Department of Transportation in excess of 200 tons per State Highway during the winter prior to this study. Salts sampled with depth and distance from the roads at 15 locations revealed significantly higher salinity levels (p < 0.05) at the 1 m vs. 5 and 10 m distances, with electrical conductivities as high as 37 dSm-1. In Ponderosa pine, Na and Cl concentrations were found to be elevated in needles revealing visual damage, whereas K concentrations were found to be significantly lower in damaged tissue (p < 0.05), resulting in Na/K ratios as high as 300 to 1. In a companion study we investigated the physiological response of 2 year old seedlings of aspen, Gambel oak and Woods’ rose, to different salt loading rates comprised of different mixes of salts (MgSO4, CaCl2 or KCl) at different %NaCl composition (100, 90, 75 and 50%). As the MgSO4 in the salt mix increased, sulfate concentration increased in the leaves of oak (r = 0.73, p < 0.001), reflecting the shift from Cl to SO4 availability. The % SO4 in the leaves of oak revealed a strong linear relationship (r = 0.83 p < 0.001) with leaf weight at final harvest, as well as higher chlorophyll (spad) measurements relative to control (r = 0.89 p < 0.01) and an earlier breaking of dormancy (r = 0.65, p < 0.01), as seedlings with 2.5% SO4 in leaves at harvest broke dormancy 10 days sooner than those oak seedlings with only 1% SO4 in the tissue. Based on results of this study , we believe a 25% substitution of MgSO4 would be worthy of further field evaluations as a significant decline in leaf tissue Na andCl occurred at this level, while concentrations of Ca and SO4 increased.

Transfer, Exchanges and Effects of Road Deicing Salts in a Detention Pond Treating Road Water

A detention pond used for the treatment of road water runoff and the flow control was tested for deicing salt storage. To that purpose, samples were collected from the pond's water (influent entering the pond and effluent exiting the pond) and sludge. NaCl and heavy metals concentrations in those samples were measured. In parallel, meteorological conditions and information about deicing salt application will be followed in order to evaluate the proportion of salt collected by the road drainage system. Na+ and Cl- exchange and transfer processes in the detention pond and their influence on the heavy metals remobilisation were assessed.

Gravitational Settling Velocity Regimes for Heterodisperse Urban Drainage Particulate Matter

Gravitational settling regimes, most commonly discrete (Type I) or flocculent (Type II) can be hindered (Type III) in unmaintained urban drainage appurtenances. In coastal zones or in areas with deicing salt applications, high salinity may influence particulate matter (PM) settling. This study examines settling of PM with a heterodisperse particle size distribution (PSD); typical of urban runoff. For Type I settling at low concentration ( ∼0.1 g/L ) , Newton’s and logarithmic matching models each predict measured settling velocity ( Vs ) for PM from 2–4,750 μm . For Type I Vs in runoff, PM diameter dominates the influence of PM density, fluid temperature and salinity parameter ranges. Integrating Type I Vs across a common heterodisperse PSD for regulatory testing, a physically validated computational fluid dynamics model of a baffled hydrodynamic separator (HS) illustrates the influence of Vs parameters as PM diameter⪢PM density>temperature≈salinity . Event-based PM separation by a screened HS loaded by u...

Toxicity of road salt to Nova Scotia amphibians

The deposition of chemical pollutants into roadside wetlands from runoff is a current environmental concern. In northern latitudes, a major pollutant in runoff water is salt (NaCl), used as de-icing agents. In this study, 26 roadside ponds were surveyed for amphibian species richness and chloride concentration. Acute toxicity tests (LC(50)) were performed on five locally common amphibian species using a range of environmentally significant NaCl concentrations. Field surveys indicated that spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) and wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) did not occupy high chloride ponds. American toads (Bufo americanus) showed no pond preference based on chloride concentration. Acute toxicity tests showed spotted salamanders and wood frogs were most sensitive to chloride, and American toads were the least. Spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) and green frogs (Rana clamitans) showed intermediate sensitivities. We concluded that chloride concentrations in ponds due to application of de-icing salts, influenced community structure by excluding salt intolerant species.

Calcium-Induced Freezing and Salinity Tolerance in Evergreen Oak and Apple cv. ‘Golden Crown’

Greater variability in weather patterns and later spring frosts equate to poor winter hardiness, premature spring budbreak, and greater susceptibility to low-temperature damage and concomitant deicing salt application. A field trial was undertaken to determine the influence of a range of commercially available calcium fertilizers applied as foliar sprays on the freezing and salinity tolerance of two tree species, evergreen oak (Quercus ilex L.) and apple (Malus cv. ‘Golden Crown’). In all cases, application of calcium sprays increased twig, leaf, and root freezing and salt tolerance of both species as measured by leaf chlorophyll fluorescence and tissue electrolyte leakage bioassays. In the case of apple, a hardiness gain of 4.3°C (7.74°F) was recorded in twig tissue. In the case of evergreen oak, a hardiness gain of 2.1°C (3.78°F) was recorded in leaf tissue. After a –5°C (23°F) (apple) and –6.5°C (20°F) (evergreen oak) freezing stress, root electrolyte leakage values as a measure of cell membrane structural damage were 16% to 27% less in calcium-treated trees compared with noncalcium-treated controls. The salt concentration needed to cause 50% reductions in leaf chlorophyll fluorescence as a measure of photosynthetic efficiency rose by 0.2% to 1.2% in calcium-fertilized trees indicating a positive influence of calcium on enhancing leaf tissue tolerance to salt damage. Differences in the magnitude of freezing and salinity tolerance gained were noticeable between the calcium products used. In general, calcium hydroxide, calcium nitrate borate, and calcium metalosate improved twig, leaf, and root freezing and salt tolerance in both tree species to a greater degree than calcium chloride, calcium sulphate, calcium nitrate, and a calcium–magnesium complex. A significant correlation existed between increased freezing tolerance and internal tissue calcium content. Results of this study indicate that calcium sprays during late summer and fall can increase the freezing and salinity tolerance of evergreen oak and apple during the winter. This should be considered noteworthy for individuals involved in the management of trees in areas subject to subzero temperature fluctuations and/or concomitant applications of deicing salts in the form of sodium chloride.

Validation of Probability-Based Chloride-Induced Corrosion Service-Life Model

The deterioration of bridge decks due to chloride-induced corrosion is a major problem in North America. Chlorides are primarily the result of deicing salt applications on the bridge deck surface. The ingress of chlorides into concrete is typically modeled using Fick's second law of diffusion. Previous service-life models have taken a deterministic approach to estimating chloride diffusion. A recent project, however, developed a service-life model that incorporates the probabilistic nature of the diffusion parameters by using Monte Carlo statistical resampling techniques. This paper validates the probabilistic service-life model using data gathered from 10 bare steel bridge decks constructed in Virginia between 1965 and 1968.

Nitrogen Cycle Disruption through the Application of De-icing Salts on Upland Highways

It is hypothesized that episodic introductions of road salt severely disrupt the soil nitrogen cycle at a range of spatial and temporal scales. A field-scale study has confirmed impacts on the nitrogen cycle in soil, soil solution and river samples. There is evidence that ammonium-N retention on cation exchange sites has been reduced by the presence of sodium ions, and that ammonium-N has been flushed from the exchange sites. Increases in soil pH have been caused in naturally acidic uplands. These have enhanced mineralization of organic-N, especially nitrification, leading to a reduction in the mineralizable-N pool of roadside soils. There is evidence to support the hypothesis that organic matter content has been lowered over decades either through desorption or dispersal processes. Multiple drivers are identified that contribute to the disruption of nitrogen cycling processes, but their relative importance is difficult to quantify unequivocally. The influence of road salt on soil and soil solution declines with distance from the highway, but impacts on water chemistry in a local stream are still strongly evident at some distance from the road.

Runoff and windblown vehicle spray from road surfaces, risks and measures for soil and water

Soil and surface water along roads are exposed to pollution from motorways. The main pollutants are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), mineral oil, heavy metals and salt. These pollutants originate from vehicles (fuel, wires, leakage), wear and degradation of road surfaces and road furniture (i.e. crash barriers) and the application of de-icing salts. Runoff, vehicle spray and dry deposition disperse these contaminants into the soft shoulder (verges) of the roads and surface water to a measurable distance of about 50 up to more then 150 m from the road. Despite many monitoring programs, little is known about the risks of this diffuse pollution for soil and water quality and the geochemical and physical factors which determine these risks. Also little is known about the effects of possible measures. Therefore, extensive research has been carried out at two local motorways. Specific measurements on runoff, vehicle spray and effects of measures have been carried out for one year (13 months). This resulted in several new insights. The pollutants appear to adsorb effectively to natural soils. In vulnerable areas groundwater can be protected by adjusting the policy to removing the contaminated upper topsoil of the verges. Discharges of runoff into local surface water are not recommended.

Regional increase of mean chloride concentration in water due to the application of deicing salt

The Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council 2000/60/EC: Establishing a Framework for Community Action in the Field of Water Policy, states that it is necessary to consider human activities within a river basin in order to prevent and reduce the spreading of pollutants and to achieve good water status. This paper shows a simple method to estimate the environmental pressure from the deicing of roads as steady state chloride concentration in water. The data processed are presented using GIS. The result showed that the contribution of deicing salt is of importance for the chloride concentration on a regional scale. The increase in chloride concentration is also compared to the background concentration and other sources of chloride within the river basin. Road salt applied by the Swedish National Road Administration (SNRA) accounts for more than half of the total chloride load for the river basin investigated. The method presented may easily be generalised to a national scale for monitoring the environmental effects of deicing salt application.

Increased chloride concentration in a lake due to deicing salt application

During winter, the Swedish National Road Administration uses on average 250,000 tonnes of sodium chloride for deicing purposes. Chloride concentration is a function of the amount of deicing salt applied during the winter season and the amount of water in which the salt can be diluted. An estimation of seasonal amount of deicing salt in relation to amount of run-off was used in order to identify the effects of deicing salt. The measured chloride concentration in a lake used as a municipal water supply was similar to the concentration estimated by a simple steady state method accounting for the catchment area. The simplified steady state method was a useful tool for estimating steady state concentrations on a regional level, including a non-influenced lake as a comparison.