POTENTIAL IMPACT OF SODIUM CHLORIDE AND CALCIUM CHLORIDE DE-ICING MIXTURES ON ROADSIDE SOILS AND PLANTS WITH DISCUSSIONS

DEICING SALTS ARE APPLIED TO HIGHWAYS AT RATES AS HIGH AS 30 TONS/LANE-MILE/YEAR OR 120 TONS/MILE OF FOUR-LANE HIGHWAY. THE QUANTITY OF SALT REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN BARE PAVEMENT CAN BE MINIMIZED PARTLY BY APPLYING CHEMICALS, SUCH AS SODIUM CHLORIDE AND CALCIUM CHLORIDE MIXTURES, THAT MELT ICE FASTER PER UNIT APPLIED AND BY ALLOWING ADEQUATE TIME AFTER APPLICATION FOR BARE PAVEMENT. AT HIGH SALT LOADINGS, SALT POLLUTION IS BEING TRADED FOR TIME TO BARE PAVEMENT AT THE RATE OF TWO OR THREE TIMES MORE SALT THAN IS REQUIRED FOR SLOWER DEICING. LABORATORY DATA INDICATE THAT SODIUM CHLORIDE, IF USED BETWEEN 0 AND 10 DEG F FOR DEICING WITHIN 1 HOUR, CAN INTRODUCE FIVE TIMES MORE CHLORIDE ION THAN CALCIUM CHLORIDE AND 10 TIMES MORE MOLES OF SODIUM ION THAN MOLES OF CALCIUM ION FROM CALCIUM CHLORIDE. HOWEVER, BOTH CAN MELT ROUGHLY SIMILAR QUANTITIES OF ICE IF SUFFICIENT TIME IS ALLOWED FOR EQUILIBRIUM. POTENTIAL SALT LOADINGS IN ROADSIDE SOILS AND DRAINAGE WATERS WERE COMPARED WITH PUBLISHED FIELD DATA BY USE OF HYPOTHETICAL CONSTRUCTS, AND POTENTIALS FOR PRODUCING SALINE (HIGH SALT) AND ALKALI (HIGH SODIUM) SOILS WERE ESTIMATED. ALTHOUGH CONSIDERABLE DEICING SALT DAMAGE TO PLANTS IS REPORTED IN THE LITERATURE, THE DAMAGE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE SO EXTENSIVE AS GUIDELINES FOR AGRICULTURAL SOILS IN THE ARID WEST TEND TO SUGGEST. USE OF CALCIUM CHLORIDE AND SODIUM CHLORIDE MIXTURES SHOULD AVOID THE NEED FOR ADDING MATERIALS LIKE GYPSUM TO PERIODICALLY DECREASE THE SODIUM ION CONTENT OF ROADSIDE SOILS AND AT THE SAME TIME SHOULD OFFER THE POTENTIAL FOR IMPROVED DEICING EFFICIENCY. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1973/425/425-007.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309021545
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Brandt, G H
• Discussers:
  • Hutchinson, F E
  • Westerman, Robert L
  • Rubins, E J
  • Rich, Avery E
• Publication Date: 1973

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 52-66
• Monograph Title: Environmental degradation by de-icing chemicals and effective countermeasures
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 425
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Calcium chloride; Deicers (Equipment); Deicing; Drainage; Pollution; Roadside; Snow and ice control; Sodium chloride; Sodium chloride; Soils; Vegetation
• Uncontrolled Terms: Deicers
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Geotechnology; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00205247
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309021545
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Aug 15 1973 12:00AM