Salt Company Research Articles

Supplier Selection of Salt Industry With AHP and Topis Method

Purpose: This study aims to identify the criteria for selecting salt suppliers and propose a supplier selection framework so that the salt industry can buy raw materials according to the specified standards and prices. Theoretical reference: This research synthesizes supplier selection criteria from the literature. Method: A decision-making framework for supplier selection was constructed by integrating the AHP with TOPSIS. Data were gathered via interviews with salt industry professionals and from observations of salt manufacturing and the supply chain. The weight of the criteria for selecting the salt supplier was determined through the use of questionnaires that utilized the AHP and TOPSIS methodology. Result and Conclusion: The findings of this study offer the Salt Industry valuable insights into the factors that should be considered when selecting suppliers, such as Quality, Service, Delivery, Flexibility, and Responsiveness. The AHP method's outcome indicates that the criterion with the highest ranking is quality. The results suggest that the criteria are ranked in descending order of importance, with quality having the highest weight, followed by delivery, responsiveness, flexibility, and service. Supplier A, with the highest ranking, has been chosen. Implications of research: The framework developed in this article uses only five criteria and was validated on one salt company. Further research can be continued by adding new criteria and validated in several salt industries. The algorithm and the output of this research are expected to be used as inputs in the design of the digital supply chain of the salt industry. Moreover, the management can use this method to choose raw material suppliers based on quality, service, delivery, flexibility, and responsiveness. Most producers of salt raw materials in Indonesia are salt farmers, most of whom still use traditional salt production and storage methods. It is hoped that the results of this research can provide information to salt suppliers, including salt farmers, about the criteria that must be met so that the salt produced can be immediately sold to the salt industry. Originality/value: This study develops a supplier selection system designed for the salt business, which has significant importance in Indonesia. The literature study results from this study are anticipated to provide valuable insights for academics researching supplier selection. This research can be furthered by examining the impact of this supplier decision on the performance of the Salt supply chain, extending from upstream to downstream.

Minimizing the Bullwhip Effect for Supply Chains Single Vendor and Multi Distributor in Salt Companies

Minimizing the Bullwhip Effect for Supply Chains Single Vendor and Multi Distributor in Salt Companies

Monitoring Water and Soil Salinity across Mentor Marsh to Investigate Their Temporal and Spatial Variability

In this study, the surface water salinity of Mentor Marsh, located in Northern Ohio, USA, was monitored for 3 years by establishing 10 monitoring stations, whereas sporadic surface water salinity data were recorded at more than 30 locations in the marsh for 5 years. In addition, eight additional monitoring stations were established for recording the soil salinity at various temporal scales, whereas spatially distributed soil salinity was measured across the marsh in more than 500 locations to develop the salinity mapping in the soil using the Kriging-Gaussian method. Our analysis suggested that the water salinity in the winter was generally higher than in the summer. While the majority of the sites reported higher soil salinity characterized by high variability during the winter season, some sites reported a higher soil salinity in summer with less variability. The analysis revealed that the salt used on the road for the deicing purpose during the snowfall period was the primary reason for the increase in the salinity concentration in water in the western basin of Mentor Marsh, whereas the salt fill sites and brine well were primarily responsible for the higher salinity concentration in the eastern basin. Also, the drainage from the Morton Salt Company was a contributing factor to the sudden spike in some of the stations of the eastern basin. Both the surface water and soil salinity were relatively higher in the eastern basin than in the western basin. Apparently, salinity from the brine well field and salt fill sites seem to be more considerable than the road salt.

Influence of Firms’ Staff and Skills on the Organizational Performance: A Case of the Salt Mining Industry in Tanzania

This study examined the influence of firms’ staff and firms’ skills on the organizational performance of salt mining industry in Coast Region of Tanzania where four salt companies were involved in the study. The study was quantitative, employing a survey design with a sample size of 100 employees obtained conveniently from a pool of 1010 employees from the four selected salt mining companies. The study employed primary data obtained through questionnaire distributed to the sampled respondents. Data was analysed descriptively and with inferential statistics with the help of SPSS to generate frequency tables and multiple regression analysis output. The findings of the study revealed that firms’ staff and firms’ skills influenced the organizational performance of salt mining industry. The study recommends to policy makers and managers of companies in the salt mining industry to reinforce policies, rules and regulations that will ensure low personnel turnover rate. They should appointment employees from diverse backgrounds, recruitment of skilled employees and provide opportunities for advancement. The study also recommends that policy makers should make sure that at organizational level, salt mining companies have career development plans that will enhance skills to employees.

Salt, Smurthwaite, and Smith: The Origins of the Modern Legal Identity of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Salt, Smurthwaite, and Smith: The Origins of the Modern Legal Identity of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Structure of the 4-O-[1-Carboxyethyl]-d-Mannose-Containing O-Specific Polysaccharide of a Halophilic Bacterium Salinivibrio sp. EG9S8QL.

The moderately halophilic strain Salinivibrio sp. EG9S8QL was isolated among 11 halophilic strains from saline mud (Emisal Salt Company, Lake Qarun, Fayoum, Egypt). The lipopolysaccharide was extracted from dried cells of Salinivibrio sp. EG9S8QL by the phenol–water procedure. The OPS was obtained by mild acid hydrolysis of the lipopolysaccharide and was studied by sugar analysis along with 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, including 1H,1H COSY, TOCSY, ROESY, 1H,13C HSQC, and HMBC experiments. The OPS was found to be composed of linear tetrasaccharide repeating units of the following structure: →2)-β-Manp4Lac-(1→3)-α-ManpNAc-(1→3)-β-Rhap-(1→4)-α-GlcpNAc-(1→, where Manp4Lac is 4-O-[1-carboxyethyl]mannose.

The persistence of Chinese monopoly in Indonesia's salt business and marginalisation of local salt farmers

This paper reviews reasons for the domination of the Indonesian salt business, from the colonial to the New Order era, by the Chinese who are ethnic Indonesian citizens. The authors argue that this domination and subordination by middlemen induces a negative impact on market segmentation. Consequently, local farmers have limited market access and it appears that these salt farmers are pressurised by middlemen and the Chinese. This study used a historical method with an economic-political approach. Due to the New Order’s policy that placed the economy as a ‘commander’, business opportunities were widely open to the Chinese and even to foreign investment. During this era, there were middle-scale and large-scale salt companies, all of which belonged to the Chinese. Meanwhile, small-scale companies were non-Chinese or native Indonesian. The Chinese dominance in the salt business was not something new, and ironically, it has left almost no place for locals.

Analysis of Salt Lake Volume Dynamics Using Sentinel-1 Based SBAS Measurements: A Case Study of Lake Tuz, Turkey

As one of the largest hypersaline lakes, Lake Tuz, located in the middle of Turkey, is a key waterbird habitat and is classified as a Special Environmental Protection Area in the country. It is a dynamic lake, highly affected by evaporation due to its wide expanse and shallowness (water depth <40 cm), in addition to being externally exploited by salt companies. Monitoring the dynamics of its changes in volume, which cause ecological problems, is required to protect its saline lake functions. In this context, a spatially homogeneous distributed gauge could be critical for monitoring and rapid response; however, the number of gauge stations and their vicinity is insufficient for the entire lake. The present study focuses on assessing the feasibility of a time-series interferometric technique, namely the small baseline subset (SBAS), for monitoring volume dynamics, based on freely available Sentinel-1 data. A levelling observation was also performed to quantify the accuracy of the SBAS results. Regression analysis between water levels, which is one of the most important volume dynamics, derived by SBAS and levelling in February, April, July and October was 67%, 80%, 84%, and 95% respectively, for correlation in the range of 10–40 cm in water level, and was in line with levelling. Salt lake components such as water, vegetation, moist soil, dry soil, and salt, were also classified with Sentinel-2 multispectral images over time to understand the reliability of the SBAS measurements based on interferometric coherence over different surface types. The findings indicate that the SBAS method with Sentinel-1 is a good alternative for measuring lake volume dynamics, including the monitoring of water level and salt movement, especially for the dry season. Even though the number of coherent, measurable, samples (excluding water) decrease during the wet season, there are always sufficient coherent samples (>0.45) over the lake.

Indoor salt water baths followed by artificial ultraviolet B light for chronic plaque psoriasis.

Indoor salt water baths followed by artificial ultraviolet B light for chronic plaque psoriasis.

When It Rains It Pours: The Long-Run Economic Impacts of Salt Iodization in the United States

In 1924, the Morton Salt Company began nationwide distribution of iodine-fortified salt. Access to iodine, a key determinant of cognitive ability, rose sharply. We compare outcomes for cohorts exposed in utero with those of slightly older, unexposed cohorts, across states with high versus low baseline iodine deficiency. Income increased by 11%, labor force participation rose 0.68 percentage points, and full-time work went up 0.9 percentage points due to increased iodine availability. These impacts were largely driven by changes in the economic outcomes of young women. In later adulthood, both men and women had higher family incomes due to iodization.

Influence of algal biotreated wastewater on some growth parameters and metabolites of Vicia faba

In Delta region water quality is greatly affected by adding organic matters and suspended materials as a result of population increasing and the widespread in the industrial factories building along the Nile River, and these industries include chemicals, fertilizers, insecticides and paper. There are many factories and companies at Kafr El-Zayat City which is located at the Rosetta branch such as Salt and Soda Company which, produce oil, soap and fodder and El- Malyaa Company which produce chemicals. The wastes in the drains contain high levels of suspended and dissolved solids, nutrients and organic matters. The plant growth is seriously affected and its different measured growth parameters decreased due to untreated wastewater. Microalgae are a diverse group of photosynthetic plants are able to play a great role in bioremediation of wastewater in addition to generating biomass for different applications. The present study showed the ability of Scenedesmus obliquus and Micractinium komarkovaein reducing the hazards of wastewater of the two companies. High levels of essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in treated wastewater may be considered as fertilizers capable of improving the crop yield so that treated wastewater is a valued and an excellent resource for irrigation and obtained results indicated that irrigation of Vicia faba (Giza 100) with biotreated water enhanced its growth parameters, pigmentation in addition to carbohydrates and protein content.

Beijing Salt Company: The Way to Deal with the Salt Reform Program

After the implementation of the Salt Industry System Reform Program, other domestic salt enterprises will compete for the market share of salt in Beijing. With the method of SWOT, this paper analyzes the advantages, disadvantages, opportunities and challenges of Beijing Salt Industry Company after the implementation of the salt industry system reform, and puts forward to seize the transition period, make close cooperation with the upstream enterprises; innovate business models, improve the service level; optimize the logistics links, reduce the cost of circulation; enrich product variety, improve the precision marketing; use new packaging, and strengthen the development of counterfeit brand countermeasure.

Purification and characterization of halo-alkali-thermophilic protease from Halobacterium sp. strain HP25 isolated from raw salt, Lake Qarun, Fayoum, Egypt.

A total of 33 halophilic protease producers were isolated from different salt samples collected from Emisal salt company at Lake Qarun, Fayoum, Egypt. Of these strains, an extremely halophilic strain that grew optimally at 30 % (w/v) NaCl was characterized and identified as Halobacterium sp. strain HP25 based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phenotypic characterization. A halo-alkali-thermophilic protease was purified in three successive steps from the culture supernatant. The purified halophilic protease consisted of a single polypeptide chain with a molecular mass of 21 kDa and was enriched 167-fold to a specific activity of 6350 U mg(-1). The purified enzyme was active over a broad pH range from 6.0 to 11.0, with maximum activity at pH 8.0, exhibited a broad temperature range from 30 to 80 °C with optimum activity at 60 °C, and was active at salt concentrations ranging from 5 to 25 % (w/v), with optimum activity at 17 % NaCl (w/v). The K M and V max values of the purified halophilic protease with casein as a substrate were 523 µg mL(-1) and 2500 µg min(-1) mL(-1), respectively. In addition, this enzyme was stable in the tested organic solvents and laundry detergents such methanol, propanol, butanol, hexane, Persil and Ariel. The unusual properties of this enzyme allow it to be used for various applications, such as the ripening of salted fish. Furthermore, its stability and activity in the presence of organic solvents and detergents also allow the use of this enzyme for further novel applications and as an additive in detergent formulations.

The Bay Area's Solar Salt Industry

Now part of a 15,100-acre restoration project, the salt ponds of the southern San Francisco Bay have a long history of industrial use and management. Early developers of these lands in the late 1800s modified the marshy tidal margin of the bay to be productive and profitable; wetlands were not valued for their own sake or for ecological values, but were considered wastelands until they could be “improved” for human utilization. The land barons behind what became the Leslie Salt Company created an elaborate landscape of dikes and ponds, but producing solar salt was considered an interim use, while the owners aimed for further, more lucrative possibilities: first planning a heavily industrialized manufacturing and distribution center, and later considering filling the marshlands to create residential developments. Ironically the vision of a filled-in Bay helped to trigger a wave of environmentalism in the 1960s and ‘70s, resulting first in the creation of a wildlife refuge and later this ambitious restoration project, circling back toward the tidal marshes’ earlier form and function. Examining their history helps us to see not only the potential conservation value of lands previously used for industrial purposes, but also to help us understand that we can live side by side with conservation lands, that their ecological or wildness values are not necessarily diminished by human presence or past.

Glycine betaine is the main organic osmotic solute in a stratified microbial community in a hypersaline evaporitic gypsum crust

We have examined the organic osmotic solutes content within the stratified microbial communities in an evaporitic gypsum crust found in an evaporation pond (~194g/l total dissolved salts) of the salterns of the Israel Salt Company, Eilat. We extracted intracellular solutes from the upper three pigmented layers of the crust: a yellow-orange layer dominated by unicellular cyanobacteria, a green layer with filamentous cyanobacteria, and a layer colored red-purple by purple sulfur bacteria; dense communities of heterotrophic bacteria were present in all layers. The solutes were analyzed by Raman spectroscopy, (1)H and (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance, and HPLC. All layers contained glycine betaine as the only detectable osmotic solute; ectoine and other solutes known to be produced by many halophilic and halotolerant prokaryotes were not found. In this first attempt to assess the osmotic solute content within complex natural communities of halophilic microorganisms, the predominant role of glycine betaine as an osmolyte was established. Most heterotrophic bacteria cannot produce glycine betaine but preferentially use it when it is supplied. Presence of glycine betaine produced by the photoautotrophic members of the community, therefore, may relieve the heterotrophs from the need to synthesize other compounds at a high-energy cost.

Impacts of restoration of an uncontrolled phosphogypsum dumpsite on the seasonal distribution of abiotic variables, phytoplankton, copepods, and ciliates in a man-made solar saltern

The restoration of an uncontrolled phosphogypsum landfill was investigated for its effects on the seasonal distribution of phytoplankton, ciliates, and copepods. Sampling was carried out monthly from September 2007 to August 2008 at four ponds of increasing salinity (A1, 41psu; A5, 46psu; A16, 67psu; and C31, 77psu) in the Sfax solar saltern (southeastern Tunisia). Physicochemical and biological analyses were carried out using standard methods. Results showed drastic reduction of phosphate input and greater diversity of phytoplankton, ciliates, and copepods than before restoration. Pennate diatoms and new ciliates, considered bio-indicators of less-stressed marine ecosystems, proliferated in the A1 pond for the first time after restoration. Copepods appeared to feed on a wide range of prey. Economically, removal of the 1.7 million m(3) of phosphate improved the quality of the site's salt production, enabling the salt company to receive the quality ISO 9001 accreditation.

Analysis of surveillance on iodized salt in Baotou during 2008-2010

Objective To find out the consumption situation of iodized salt in Baotou, identify problems and take appropriate intervention measures, and to provide scientific basis for further consolidating the results of control measures, strengthening and improving the sustainable elimination of iodine deficiency disorders. Methods Three batches of each quarter, 54 salt samples were sampled in Donghe wholesale division and Qingkun wholesale division in Baotou city salt company during 2008 - 2010; each place of Damaoqi, Baiyun district, and Qingshan district were divided into five sampling areas according to the direction of east, west, south, north, and central position, one school was selected in each district, 30 students aged 8 to 10 from each school were selected, and home salt samples were taken, and salt iodine was tested by direct titration(GB/T 13025.7-1999). Results Qualified rate of wholesale iodized salt was 100%(378/378) during 2008 - 2010, and mean salt iodine was 30.4 mg/kg;qualified rate of household iodized salt was 99.8%(2417/2421 ), and mean salt iodine was 30.4 mg/kg; iodized salt coverage rate was 99.6% (2421/2430) and consumption rate of qualified iodized salt was 99.4% (2417/2430).Conclusions Qualified rate of iodized salt, coverage rate of qualified iodized salt and consumption rate of qualified iodized salt are 90% or more, which has reached the standard of sustainable elimination of iodine deficiency disorders. Key words: Iodine; Deficiency diseases; Goiter, endemic; Salts

Measurements of radio propagation in rock salt for the detection of high-energy neutrinos

We present measurements of the transmission of radio/microwave pulses through salt in the Cote Blanche salt mine operated by the North American Salt Company in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana. These results are from data taken in the southwestern region of the 1500 ft (457 m) deep level of the mine on our third and most recent visit to the mine. We transmitted and received a fast, high-power, broadband pulse from within three vertical boreholes that were drilled to depths of 100 ft (30 m) and 200 ft below the 1500 ft level using three different pairs of dipole antennas whose bandwidths span 125–900 MHz. By measuring the relative strength of the received pulses between boreholes with separations of 50 and 169 m, we deduce the attenuation of the signal attributed to the salt medium. We fit the frequency dependence of the attenuation to a power law and find the best fit field attenuation lengths to be 93 ± 7 m at 150 MHz, 63 ± 3 m at 300 MHz, and 36 ± 2 m at 800 MHz. This is the most precise measurement of radio attenuation in a natural salt formation to date. We assess the implications of this measurement for a future neutrino detector in salt.

Transportation: De-icers Add Sweet to Salt

Vol. 116, No. 11 EnvironewsOpen AccessTransportation: De-icers Add Sweet to Salt David Tenenbaum David Tenenbaum Search for more papers by this author Published:1 November 2008https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.116-a476aAboutSectionsPDF ToolsDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InReddit With the onset of winter, towns are laying in a supply of road salt in preparation for icy weather. According to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Mineral Commodity Summaries 2008, the United States used nearly 50 million metric tons of salt in 2007, with 37% of that going toward road de-icing. Road salt—primarily sodium chloride, the cheapest option—is a lifesaver on slick roads, but it is also a growing cause of environmental contamination. So some companies are exploring ways to reduce how much de-icer it takes to keep roads clear.A study by Eric V. Novotny and colleagues, slated for the 15 November 2008 issue of Science of the Total Environment, showed that seasonal and long-term changes in salinity in Minneapolis-area lakes closely followed the amount of road salt purchased by the state of Minnesota. In two of the lakes studied, a saline layer formed at the lake bottom and prevented oxygen transfer to the lake bed for months at a time, posing a potential threat to aquatic life. An earlier study, published by Domenico Sanzo and Stephen J. Hecna in volume 140, issue 2 (2006) of Environmental Pollution, found low survival, reduced weight, and abnormalities in frog larvae exposed to water that the authors said contained “environmentally realistic concentrations” of sodium chloride.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not regulate road salt but acknowledges that special consideration and best management practices are needed to protect reservoirs and other drinking water supplies near treated highways and salt storage sites from contamination with road salt runoff, says spokesperson Dale Kemery.Besides its environmental effects, road salt also has functional drawbacks: it easily washes away and must be reapplied, and sodium chloride can melt snow and ice in temperatures only down to about 16°F. But when sugar is mixed with salt, the combination can address both drawbacks, making the salt stick better and allowing it to work at lower temperatures, thus reducing the total need for salt.One such product, Ice B’Gone, is made by Sears Ecological Applications Company of Rome, New York, and combines magnesium chloride (a salt) with “distillers condensed solubles” (a sugar byproduct obtained from molasses factories). Sears sells its additive to salt companies, which blend it with rock salt. Company president David Wood says the treated salt can be spread by highway agencies using existing equipment.Ice B’Gone drops the minimum melting temperature to −45°F, Wood says, and although the treatment does raise the price of a ton of salt, it enables each ton to go further, netting a 25–40% reduction in road salt usage. In addition, he says, the Ice B’Gone formula reduces the corrosivity of the salt by as much as 70% over regular road salt. In 2008, that potential for reducing salt usage and associated corrosion earned Sears Ecological Applications the right to carry the EPA’s Design for the Environment label.Sugar derived from sugar beets is the basis for another road salt additive called GeoMelt, made by SNI Solutions of Geneseo, Illinois. Mixed with rock salt, GeoMelt lowers the melting temperature to −30°F. The Ohio Department of Transportation tested GeoMelt in 11 counties last winter. The department’s deputy director, Scott Varner, says GeoMelt helped salt adhere better to the pavement and reduced the melting temperatures, and the state plans to continue evaluating the costs and benefits.The 50% increase in price Ohio is paying for salt over the past year may tilt the tables in favor of additives, Varner says, because that raises the value of each ton saved by the additive. “If there are ways for us to use less salt, and it’s cheaper for our budgets,” he says, “ultimately that is good for the environment as well.”FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Vol. 116, No. 11 November 2008Metrics About Article Metrics Publication History Originally published1 November 2008Published in print1 November 2008 Financial disclosuresPDF download License information EHP is an open-access journal published with support from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health. All content is public domain unless otherwise noted. Note to readers with disabilities EHP strives to ensure that all journal content is accessible to all readers. However, some figures and Supplemental Material published in EHP articles may not conform to 508 standards due to the complexity of the information being presented. If you need assistance accessing journal content, please contact [email protected]. Our staff will work with you to assess and meet your accessibility needs within 3 working days.

Transportation: De-icers Add Sweet to Salt

With the onset of winter, towns are laying in a supply of road salt in preparation for icy weather. According to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Mineral Commodity Summaries 2008, the United States used nearly 50 million metric tons of salt in 2007, with 37% of that going toward road de-icing. Road salt—primarily sodium chloride, the cheapest option—is a lifesaver on slick roads, but it is also a growing cause of environmental contamination. So some companies are exploring ways to reduce how much de-icer it takes to keep roads clear. A study by Eric V. Novotny and colleagues, slated for the 15 November 2008 issue of Science of the Total Environment, showed that seasonal and long-term changes in salinity in Minneapolis-area lakes closely followed the amount of road salt purchased by the state of Minnesota. In two of the lakes studied, a saline layer formed at the lake bottom and prevented oxygen transfer to the lake bed for months at a time, posing a potential threat to aquatic life. An earlier study, published by Domenico Sanzo and Stephen J. Hecna in volume 140, issue 2 (2006) of Environmental Pollution, found low survival, reduced weight, and abnormalities in frog larvae exposed to water that the authors said contained “environmentally realistic concentrations” of sodium chloride. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not regulate road salt but acknowledges that special consideration and best management practices are needed to protect reservoirs and other drinking water supplies near treated highways and salt storage sites from contamination with road salt runoff, says spokesperson Dale Kemery. Besides its environmental effects, road salt also has functional drawbacks: it easily washes away and must be reapplied, and sodium chloride can melt snow and ice in temperatures only down to about 16°F. But when sugar is mixed with salt, the combination can address both drawbacks, making the salt stick better and allowing it to work at lower temperatures, thus reducing the total need for salt. One such product, Ice B’Gone, is made by Sears Ecological Applications Company of Rome, New York, and combines magnesium chloride (a salt) with “distillers condensed solubles” (a sugar byproduct obtained from molasses factories). Sears sells its additive to salt companies, which blend it with rock salt. Company president David Wood says the treated salt can be spread by highway agencies using existing equipment. Ice B’Gone drops the minimum melting temperature to −45°F, Wood says, and although the treatment does raise the price of a ton of salt, it enables each ton to go further, netting a 25–40% reduction in road salt usage. In addition, he says, the Ice B’Gone formula reduces the corrosivity of the salt by as much as 70% over regular road salt. In 2008, that potential for reducing salt usage and associated corrosion earned Sears Ecological Applications the right to carry the EPA’s Design for the Environment label. Sugar derived from sugar beets is the basis for another road salt additive called GeoMelt, made by SNI Solutions of Geneseo, Illinois. Mixed with rock salt, GeoMelt lowers the melting temperature to −30°F. The Ohio Department of Transportation tested GeoMelt in 11 counties last winter. The department’s deputy director, Scott Varner, says GeoMelt helped salt adhere better to the pavement and reduced the melting temperatures, and the state plans to continue evaluating the costs and benefits. The 50% increase in price Ohio is paying for salt over the past year may tilt the tables in favor of additives, Varner says, because that raises the value of each ton saved by the additive. “If there are ways for us to use less salt, and it’s cheaper for our budgets,” he says, “ultimately that is good for the environment as well.”