Common
ice-melting products include rock salt (sodium
chloride), urea, sand, sand-and-salt mixtures, ashes,
kitty litter, calcium chloride, calcium magnesium
acetate, magnesium chloride, potassium acetate, and Ice
Ban. Mixtures of these products also are used.
Using any of these products has pros and cons. For example,
some products work better than others at lower
temperatures, others are expensive, some
must be frequently applied, and some even make the
ground slippery. Each
ice-melting product impacts
the environment (e.g., soil, plants, bridges, sidewalks and
automobiles) differently. Whereas some products harden the soil
and make it too
salty for plant growth, others overload the area
with nutrients or reduce oxygen in
nearby streams and ponds
(dangerous to aquatic wildlife). Still other products
degrade concrete,
roadways, bridges and cars.
Prioritize the pros and cons
of the products you are considering, and then choose the
best. Tell your friends and neighbors why you
chose your product. Learn
more here:
Read
what Grist.org has discovered.
Of the "green" ice-melt mixes tested, the product
causing the lease environmental damage contains:
Magnesium chloride hexahydrate, calcium chloride (2-3%),
potassium chloride (0.5-1%), sodium chloride (0.5-1%).
Ice-melt
ideas
and background information.
More
advice
from the Biodiversity Project and American Rivers.
How
ice-melt chemicals work, and their associated effects
on the environment.
Effects
of road salt use. More information.
