Chloride Deposition and Distribution in Soils Along a Deiced Highway – Assessment Using Different Methods of Measurement

Abstract

A comparison was made of the ability of three different methods to describe the deposition and distribution of chloride from deicing salt in the roadside environment along a highway: direct sampling of airborne deposition (including snow ploughing) in containers; soil sampling and analysis of chloride content in the topsoil; and direct current resistivity measurements. Each method showed a distribution with significant decreasing values with increasing distance from the road. Two transport mechanisms, splash and spray, were identified when describing the airborne deposition. A mathematical model that includes these two transport mechanisms was adopted, and the total amount of airborne deposition on the ground 0-100 m from the road was estimated to approximately 45% of the salt applied on the road. The main part of the chloride spread by air and ploughing ended up within 10 m from the road. The soil sampling and resistivity measurements also showed the highest impact within this distance. The variation in chloride content in the soils reflected a poorer drainage ability of fine-grained soils compared to more coarse-grained soils. The resistivity measurements represented an integrated value of the differences in geology, water content and salinity. The increase in resistivity with distance from road in the topsoil was interpreted to reflect the distribution of chloride from deicing salt.

Road salts effects on soil chemical and microbial properties at grassland and forest site in protected natural areas

“…The most apparent effects were detected at 1 m, rarely at 5 m distance from the road, which confirmed the literature findings (Lundmark andOlofsson 2007, Zehetner et al 2009) that effects of road salting on soil chemistry are mostly limited to the distance up to 10 m.…”

“…Generally, the most affected area is up to 5-10 m from the roadside (Lundmark andOlofsson 2007, Zehetner et al 2009). Effects of NaCl ad.…”

A peony-leaves-derived liquid corrosion inhibitor: protecting carbon steel from NaCl

“…These salts are highly soluble, very mobile, difficult to remove, and inherently corrosive. They may pose shortterm and long-term risks to water (5)(6)(7)(8), soil (9), vegetation (10), wildlife (11), and transportation assets (12). For instance, Siegel tested toxicity thresholds of chloride for 21 aquatic species and found fathead minnow being the most sensitive species with an acute toxicity level of 874 mg Cl − /L and chronic exposure of 252 mg Cl − /L (13).…”

Phytotoxicity of Sodium Chloride Towards Common Duckweed (Lemna Minor L.) and Yellow Lupin (Lupinus Luteus L.)

“…When dry, this compound can be carried by winds even as far as 100 meters away from transportation routes [18,19]. Moreover, sodium chloride remains in the soil throughout the whole vegetation season, impeding water absorption in plants.…”

“…Moreover, sodium chloride remains in the soil throughout the whole vegetation season, impeding water absorption in plants. Sodium chloride is used to de -ice roads and in one season 10 mln tons are applied for this purpose in the USA [39], and 5 -15 tons per 1 km in Sweden [18]. Maintaining roads in winter degrades about 250 -500 thousand hectares of agricultural lands the world.…”