New Hampshire Bulletin has a story looking at the constant, and increasing, problem of road salt, which is spread to make roads less dangerous, is contaminating fresh water.
Because the ions that make up road salt don’t evaporate or break down, and plants don’t significantly filter them out of the soil, road salt accumulates in the environment after it is applied. Today, more than 50 water bodies across the state have more chloride — a component of road salt — than is deemed safe by the Environmental Protection Agency, according to NHDES. This threatens aquatic life, because chloride is toxic to fish, Diers said.
Salt also seeps into aquifers and affects drinking water supplies. According to NHDES, the number of salt-contaminated wells in New Hampshire has risen by 150% over the last 30 years. Salt in drinking water can affect taste and drinkers’ health; by corroding pipes, it can also release dangerous heavy metals like copper and lead into the water supply.
There’s no easy solution. The whole story is here.
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