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It rusts cars for one. It could make the soil too salty for growing if runoff accumulates in one place, but usually it will be diluted too much to matter. I don
by eloff 7y ago
It rusts cars for one. It could make the soil too salty for growing if runoff accumulates in one place, but usually it will be diluted too much to matter. I don't know if chemicals other than salt are used commonly on roads, that could cause other issues.
- analog31 7y agoCalcium chloride is also used -- it is more effective per pound and is thus cheaper to transport, plus it works at lower temperatures. And it rusts cars even more aggressively.
- sgc 7y agoZeolites are one of the widely used alternatives developed specifically to replace salt use. They are an oil derivative, so I am not hopeful of their long term effects. They are also very expensive comparatively.
- hammock 7y agoZeolites? Oil derivative?
- philipkglass 7y agoZeolites are used as catalysts in processing oil, but they're not oil derivatives. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeolite https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeolite
- sgc 7y agoYes, I was wrong due to lack of research. I knew someone who had worked a lot on them at Chevron when i was a kid and just presumed.
- mrguyorama 7y agoNorthern Maine is too poor to afford significant amounts of road salt, so they supplement heavily with plain dirt and sand.