Reduction of negative impact of salts used for winter road maintenance on the environment

Abstract

Winter in Lithuania is the most complicated time of the year to ensure the functioning of transport systems. The main factor which impedes a normal operation of the systems is weather conditions making a direct influence on vehicles and infrastructure elements of transport systems. Precipitation, low air temperature, strong wind and other unfavourable weather conditions impede traffic on the roads and streets. In Lithuania, like in other countries of the world, for the purpose of winter road maintenance (to reduce pavement slipperiness) chemical materials on a basis of chlorides are used (NaCl, CaCl2, NaCl + CaCl2 mixes), the annual amount of which spread on the roads and streets of Lithuania comes to 160 thousand tonnes. Though salts, used for road maintenance, are able to immediately ensure safe traffic conditions, they all have larger or smaller negative impact on the environment which depends on the composition of salts, the amount used and interaction with other environmental components. A negative environmental impact comprises: ground (soil) contamination; water pollution (surface, ground and underground); impact on flora, fauna and human beings; corrosion (of vehicles, roads and reinforced concrete structures); deterioration and deformation of road pavements. Based on the increasing requirements in the field of traffic safety, environmental protection and ecology it is necessary to search for the most effective and less damaging measures to ensure road maintenance in winter: to improve planning and management of winter road maintenance; to implement modern snow cleaning and ice removal technologies; to put into practice preventive road maintenance measures; to use alternative materials and inhibitors which reduce a negative environmental impact.

The Relationship among Precipitation, Application of Salt in Winter Road Maintenance and the Quality of Waterways and Soil around Motorway

“…These results are also confirmed in the publication [14] which states that the impacts of chlorides on soil are mainly observable at a distance of approximately 10 m from the body of the road. Another research performed in Lithuania confirmed that the amount of chlorides in ground water within 10 m of a road reached the concentrations of 112-500 mg/L [41].…”

Toxicological impacts of roadway deicers on aquatic resources and human health: A review

“…Deicers are frequently detected within 10 m of roadways (Ratkevičius et al, 2014). Road runoff or splash can cause road salts to enter soil, surface waters and groundwater, which can further affect flora, fauna, microbes, and aquatic species (Pecher et al, 2019; Prosser et al, 2017; Ratkevičius et al, 2014).…”

“…Deicers are frequently detected within 10 m of roadways (Ratkevičius et al, 2014). Road runoff or splash can cause road salts to enter soil, surface waters and groundwater, which can further affect flora, fauna, microbes, and aquatic species (Pecher et al, 2019; Prosser et al, 2017; Ratkevičius et al, 2014). Composition of the deicer, the amount used, and interaction with other environmental elements are important factors in determining environmental effects of these chemicals (Ratkevičius et al, 2014).…”

Water Quality Implications and the Toxicological Effects of Chloride-Based Deicers

“…Road salts can enter the roadside environment through a wide variety of pathways, such as runoff, splash and spray from vehicles, or from snow that has been plowed or hauled off site (Zinger and Delisle, 1988;Ramakrishna and Viraraghavan, 2005). Figure 1 outlines the pathways of deicer movement in the environment (Rubin et al, 2010;Ratkevičius et al, 2014). Once applied, deicers can become a part of road runoff or be dispersed aerially.…”

“…Once in runoff, they can be part of a surface flow (40-50%) or groundwater transportation (50-60%) and therefore impact soil, flora and fauna. If distributed aerially, deicers can impact the soil, water (mostly surface water), flora, and air quality (Rubin et al, 2010;Ratkevičius et al, 2014;Cheng and Guthrie, 1998;Fischel, 2001 turbidity and bacteria growth, degrading the overall health of streams and making them potentially inhospitable for fish populations. Field research has found that elevated background and spike chloride concentrations in waterways have reduced the richness of amphibian species in some waterways (Turtle, 2000;Houlahan and Findlay, 2003;Collins and Russell, 2009).…”