Who invented road salt

It's unlikely, for instance, that we'll get self-heating roads in remote mountain passes, where ice is really a problem. The big drawback for many of these solutions, Shi notes, is that they tend to cost more.

Even with the recent shortage, salt is extraordinarily cheap, and cities have a limited budget for de-icing their roads. Plus, of course, they don't necessarily pay for all the indirect costs, like the corrosion on trucks or the environmental damage. Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment: to empower through understanding. Financial contributions from our readers are a critical part of supporting our resource-intensive work and help us keep our journalism free for all.

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By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. How America got addicted to road salt — and why it's become a problem. Share this story Share this on Facebook Share this on Twitter Share All sharing options Share All sharing options for: How America got addicted to road salt — and why it's become a problem.

Reddit Pocket Flipboard Email. How America got hooked on road salt Baltimore County road crews were just spreading salt at this point of the morning, as the roads were warm enough for melting to keep up with the falling snow. Road salt usage can vary a lot — a survey found Massachusetts was the heaviest user But as America's highways expanded and became ever more crucial to the economy, that changed. To put it another way, while consumption varies each year, the US now puts approximately 10 times as much salt on its roads as it does in processed food: Salt consumption in the US US Geological Survey Road salt is basically sodium chloride — much like table salt — and comes from deposits leftover after prehistoric oceans evaporated, with huge mines in Ohio, Michigan, New York, Kansas, and Louisiana.

The downsides of salting the roads But where does it go afterward? Chloride levels were on the rise in 84 percent of the urban streams USGS studied Just as alarming, when that salt dissolves and splits into sodium and chloride, it washes away into rivers and streams.

Why it's hard to find alternatives to road salt Snowplows and a huge pile of salt are ready for the first snowfall on October 17, , in Buffalo, New York. He notes that there are a handful of different ideas out there: 1 Pre-salting the road before a storm. Delivered Fridays. Thanks for signing up! Check your inbox for a welcome email. Email required. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice and European users agree to the data transfer policy. For more newsletters, check out our newsletters page.

The Latest. How a simple solution slashed child mortality in rural Kenyan villages By Dylan Matthews. Why Biden has disappointed on immigration By German Lopez. Table salt is grounded and purified to be used for household purposes. Typically the salt used for cooking purposes is produced by evaporating seawater.

Rock salt used as a deicer is mined from various mines all over the world. The other primary salt source is the Chelsea terminal, where the salt is mined by various countries, namely Mexico, Egypt, Ireland, Australia. Hundreds of tons of salt are shipped from the terminal, with many workers and trains working steadily throughout the year to produce the required salt.

Salt is mined from the crust of the earth and does not run out of supply. The Boston mine produces nearly 80 tons of salt. Road salt is the most economical way of removing ice and snow in the winter season.

These crystal salt seams likely formed from the evaporation of ancient seas. To harvest the salt, miners follow underground shafts and break off slabs of the salt crystal by using dynamite or powered shoveling machines. Then, the salt is put onto a truck or conveyor belt and taken to be crushed into what we know as rock salt. There are rock salt mines all over the world, even in the United States. JavaScript is Disabled For the best experience and to ensure full functionality of this site, please enable JavaScript in your browser.

Become A Reseller. Call For Best Pricing. History While some people might assume that rock salt was developed in the great Rocky Mountains of Utah and Colorado to keep cars from sliding off of the high mountain passes, it was actually first used right here in New England.

How Is It Used Today? We look forward to working with you.