The Environmental Club presents the Eco fact of the week for the week of January 3, 2022. The salt used to save lives from the dangers of icy roads a decade ago now threatens the well-being of people, flora and fauna today. As effective as road salt is, it is also highly corrosive to automobiles and infrastructure. This pollution is not effectively handled by natural processes, meaning that the concentration of chloride can gradually build up until the water becomes uninhabitable to wildlife. All the while the road salt increases the salinization of the soil destroying the food resources and habitats of terrestrial and aquatic wildlife alike. While the method of shoveling away the snow (or paying someone else to do it) before it freezes is the most environmentally friendly option to prevent ice, the minimal time, effort and expense required to toss some salt on the road is often far more appealing. Nature cannot metabolize or break down the chloride contained in rock salt and other solutions like dilution are costly in either time or money. Alternative chemicals are often similarly corrosive and far more expensive than road salt or do not effectively de-ice. Until an effective and environmentally friendly solution is found, individuals can reduce their impact on the environment and themselves by keeping their use of salt to a minimum.
