Where does all the salt go?

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Tue 12 Jan 2010 10:32
Where does all the salt go? - bathtub tom
I presume the melting snow washes it into the waterways.

Does it measurably affect the salinity of what would be freshwater and does it affect the flora and fauna?

Could it be recovered?
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Tue 12 Jan 2010 10:49
Where does all the salt go? - dumbo
I've also wondered about that and, also, about all the rubber on the roads from tyres. Where does that end up?
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Tue 12 Jan 2010 10:58
Where does all the salt go? - woodster
Bathtub - have a lick around under the car....
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Tue 12 Jan 2010 11:17
Where does all the salt go? - CGNorwich
As you say salt dissolves in the ground water and eventually reaches the sea via the rivers. It can indeed affect flor, salt will kill many plants in high concentrations, so watch how much you throw around on your driveway if you don't want to kill your garden plants. Interestingly our roadside verges are now home to some plants previously found by the coast because they can tolerate high salt levels and councils usually plant verges with salt tolerant plants for this very reason.
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Tue 12 Jan 2010 11:24
Where does all the salt go? - Nsar
Here in Lancashire, we scrape it all up and send it over to Yorkshire where they put it on their chips.
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Tue 12 Jan 2010 11:39
Where does all the salt go? - bathtub tom
>>also, about all the rubber on the roads from tyres.

That can now be measured on plants.

We're eating the stuff!
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Tue 12 Jan 2010 12:25
Where does all the salt go? - fredthefifth
I used to work in sewerage (so to speak) and it was well known that on highway drainage systems what was referred to as 'the first flush' ie the first rush of water through a system following a period of dry weather, would be heavily polluted, mostly with visible oils and such but I suppose there would be high salt levels too on occasions.
FTF
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