How Unhealthy are Ice Melt Products?

winter in city

One of the biggest concerns during those winter blizzards in the mid-Atlantic regions is what to do to eliminate them. The obvious question is finding the right ice melt chemicals supplier and having a heavy snow & ice management regime to handle the snow. Whether it’s a combination of ice melt, rock salt, or other deicing supplier needs, this is that first line of defense to eliminate the snow that piles up, melts, and eventually re-freezes into dangerous ice.

But what about the safety of ice melt chemicals themselves? What about the Sodium Acetate, Calcium Magnesium Acetate, and other ice melt products one gets from a deicer supplier? Are they dangerous? Are they hazardous to one’s health? How hazardous are they to the environment?

Technically these are chemical compounds, and only professionals should use them. That’s why a supplier for commercial businesses or a supplier for government agencies always wants to know if they will have someone qualified to be able to handle the entire snow removal process.

Without the right people to handle the job, too much or too little ice melt chemicals will be used, leaving dangerous ice on the roads and walkways. On the other hand, you could find yourself using too much ice melt product from an ice melt supplier. This mishap could potentially leave too much product that could eventually start to be corrosive to the ground it was trying to remove the ice from to begin with. Top that with not having the right snow removal tools, and then we end up having inefficient product usage and inefficient dispensing of that product.

Too much ice melt chemicals can harm the waterways

Using too much Sodium Acetate, Calcium Magnesium Acetate or any type of product with acetate might run into the waterways and storm drains after the snow removal process is done. It can then possibly head into the waterways. That’s why these chemicals need to be applied sparingly by said professionals.

It’ll actually eliminate the oxygen that is in the water if too much acetate gets into the supply. Other ice melt chemicals will have less effect. However, there’s still the possibility of ferrous metals getting in there and ruining the imbalance of the water with excessive salt-based compounds being introduced into the waterways.

You may think it salts the Earth

On the flip side, common deicing chemicals will not destroy soil and eliminate plants and other vegetation from growing there. Ice melt chemicals such as Sodium Acetate and Calcium Acetate may prove beneficial to the soil structure and may help keep the soil system better than before.

This isn’t to say to go to a Calcium Magnesium Acetate supplier and stock up on that product to help with farming. The chloride-based products, especially Sodium Chloride, will actually be detrimental to the soil in large quantities, and they can affect the metallic-based minerals in the ground.

However, all these types of products will help improve soil’s penetration and absorption properties. However, this is a nice hidden positive and should still consider proper ice melt management and snow & ice management.

What about people and animals

Rock salt and road salt are serious chemical-based products, and even though people may think they are only salt-based, they should never be consumed and should quickly be wiped off of any clothing.

In addition, Deicer products will inherently damage organic-based materials such as those nice leather boots you wanted to wear in the snow. They will degrade and break down these shoes and other clothing, and one should be mindful of getting these products on their skin because those with sensitive skin might expect additional dryness and different types of irritation.

Keep your furry friends away from these areas with rock salt or road salt, as they can irritate and damage your dog’s paws. Since there’s a good chance that it headed into the waterways, if you’re by nature spots when you go out walking with your dog, and it’s just the end of a blizzard, and you noticed suppliers for municipalities driving their big ice melt chemical trucks around, try to avoid your best furry friend to interact with that water for the time being until it can properly stabilize. However, there are pet-friendly ice melt products like Calcium Magnesium Acetate available to use instead. Explore all options before making a product decision!

Why take the risk?

Again, this is not about eliminating risk; after all, we’re trying to combat a more significant problem: icy roads and hazardous walkways that can injure us as we head from work or into the government facilities we work in the mid-Atlantic region.

It requires balancing the potential corrosion that ice melt can cause to nature, waterways, and even concrete walkways. In addition, the snow accumulation can actually crack the roads, cause road accidents, and cause soil erosion if not appropriately handled.

Ice melt chemicals have their drawbacks, yet the alternative of doing no snow removal or having no proper snow & ice management plan will cause a lot more damage in the long run.

The best solution for this again is the consideration to only have a professional application of all rock salt or ice melt chemicals in general. These professionals know exactly how to choose which products to select for the coming storm, with the right strength for the job.

For example, if it’s going to be a mild storm with above zero temperatures, then a liquid brine primer with magnesium chloride solution after the snow has fallen should be enough.

However, suppose it’s going to be a blizzard with subzero temperatures. In that case, the big guns such as calcium chloride combined with other ice melt chemicals such as Calcium Magnesium Acetate need to be used as often as possible to help eliminate the ice buildup for commercial businesses, and government facilities, or those industrial sites at manufacturing companies. Your deicing supplier will help supply government properties and commercial businesses with the right mix of products to handle many situations and, ultimately, minimize the environmental impact and maximize the snow & ice management.

Have questions? Contact SISCU today!