ACCUMULATION OF ROAD SALT IONS IN SOILS ALONG MAINE HIGHWAYS

ANALYSES CONDUCTED IN MAINE SINCE 1965 SHOW THAT IONS OF SODIUM AND CHLORIDE TEND, WITH NUMBER OF YEARS OF DEICING- SALT APPLICATION, TO INCREASE IN ABSOLUTE QUANTITY AND IN THE DISTANCE FROM THE ROADWAY WHERE THEY CAN BE FOUND. FOR EXAMPLE, A SECTION OF THE MAINE TURNPIKE THAT HAD BEEN SALTED FOR ONLY TWO YEARS HAD SODIUM CONCENTRATIONS OF AS MUCH AS 300 MICROGRAMS PER GRAM OF SOIL ONLY AT DISTANCES OF 2--7 FEET FROM THE ROADWIDE AND NO CONCENTRATION AS HIGH AS 100 MICROGRAMS BEYOND 20 FEET, WHILE BY CONTRAST A SECTION SALTED FOR 17 YEARS HAD CONCENTRATIONS OF 500--600 MICROGRAMS AT THE NEAR DISTANCE AND 280-400 MICROGRAMS AT DISTANCES FROM 20--50 FEET. THESE DATA COMPARE WITH A READING OF 50 MICROGRAMS ALONG UNSALTED ROADWAYS. IT APPEARS THAT MOST OF THE IONS ARE RETAINED IN THE SOIL AND DO NOT PASS OFF INTO WATERWAYS. THE MAIN DELETERIOUS EFFECTS OF SODIUM AND CHLORIDE ACCUMULATIONS IN SOIL ARE ON MAINTENANCE OF SCENIC VEGETATION ALONG THE ROADWAY AND ON SOIL STRUCTURE, THE SOIL BECOMING LESS PERMEABLE AND CREATING DRAINAGE PROBLEMS.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • 3 Pp, Fig, TABS
• Corporate Authors:

  Maine Farm Research

  ,    
• Authors:
  • Hutchinson, F E
• Publication Date: 1966-10

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Chlorides; Contaminants; Deicers (Equipment); Ions; Permeability; Plants; Shrubs; Sodium; Sodium chloride; Sodium chloride; Soil structure; Soils; Streams; Surface drainage; Toxicity; Water pollution
• Uncontrolled Terms: Contamination; Deicers
• Old TRIS Terms: Frangipani; Highway drainage; Soil permeability; Stream pollution
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Geotechnology; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00218720
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 3 1971 12:00AM