EFFECT OF HIGHWAY SALTING ON THE CONCENTRATION OF SODIUM AND CHLORIDE IN RIVERS

PARALLEL AND SUBSEQUENT TO A STUDY THAT MEASURED SODIUM AND CHLORIDE ION CONCENTRATIONS ALONG THE ROADSIDES OF MAINE HIGHWAYS, AN ANALYSIS WAS MADE OF ION CONCENTRATIONS IN SEVEN MAINE RIVERS. WHEN AVERAGED OVER ALL SITES, THE SODIUM CONTENT OF THE WATER WAS LOWEST IN OCTOBER AND HIGHEST IN APRIL, FOLLOWING THE WINTER PERIOD. HOWEVER, THE AVERAGE CHLORIDE VALUE WAS HIGHEST IN JULY AND LOWEST IN APRIL. SINCE THERE IS NO APPARENT REASON WHY THE TRENDS FOR THE TWO IONS SHOULD BE DIFFERENT, IT IS CONCLUDED THAT HIGHWAY SALTING HAS NO INFLUENCE ON THE CONCENTRATION OF THESE IONS IN THE RIVERS SAMPLED. THE FACT THAT MORE IONS ARE ENTERING THE RIVERS DURING AND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE WINTER MONTHS IS OFFSET BY THE INCREASED VOLUME OF WATER IN THE SYSTEM AT THAT TIME. THE CONCENTRATIONS OF THESE IONS IN THE RIVERS STUDIED ARE GENERALLY LOW AND NOT A PROBLEM. IN ONLY ONE RIVER WAS A CONCENTRATION IN EXCESS OF 10 PPM ENCOUNTERED.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • 3 Pp, 2 Tab
• Corporate Authors:

  Research In The Life Sciences

  ,    
• Authors:
  • Hutchinson, F E
• Publication Date: 1968

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Chlorides; Deicers (Equipment); Ions; Rivers; Sodium; Sodium chloride; Sodium chloride; Streams; Water pollution
• Uncontrolled Terms: Deicers
• Old TRIS Terms: Stream pollution
• Subject Areas: Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Maintenance and Preservation; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00218721
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 3 1971 12:00AM