Impact of Road Maintenance Salts on Water Ecosystems According to Diatom Flora Investigation

Abstract

Road maintenance chlorides have a negative environmental impact. Chemical solutions of melting snow inevitably get into the soil and change its chemical composition. They also get into ponds. Five water basins in Vilnius city, at 5–80 m from roads, were chosen for investigation. The highest chloride concentrations were established by roads where winter road maintenance is performance at the highest level. The hydrophysical and chemical parameters of the investigated lakes depend on anthropogenic processes. Diatoms were used as indicators for reconstruction of the paleo‐ecological history of the lakes. They respond sensitively to changes in lake water salinity. The total number of 35 indifferentic‐halophilic species from all the 78 diatom taxa were identified in the lake bottom sediments. Fluctuations of their abundance could be caused by the impact of salts in different periods stimulating the productivity of indifferentic‐halophilic specie

Experimental Investigation Into Toxic Impact of Road Maintenance Salt on Grass Vegetation

“…Seeking to determine a negative effect of technical salts on the ecosystems in the environment of roads, Department of Environment Protection of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University investigated the impact of road maintenance salts on water ecosystems according to diatom flora investigation in the Verkiai pond and the Gineitiškiai lake in 2004. The investigation findings show that one of the reasons that could impact on the spread of diatom flora typical to salty waters is road maintenance salts (chlorides) [2].…”

Toxicological impacts of roadway deicers on aquatic resources and human health: A review

“…Few studies have examined the toxicity of road salts to phytoplankton (Evans & Frick, 2001). Patrick et al, (1968) observed a 50% decrease in the cell numbers of the diatom Nitzschia linearis when exposed to 2.43 g/L of NaCl (1.48 g/L of Cl − ) for 120 h. Oškinis and Kasperovičius (2005) studied the impacts of deicers (75‒3120 mg/L of Cl − ) on diatom flora at five ponds located 5‒80 m from roads. They concluded that salt affected diversity and abundance of the diatom communities (Oškinis & Kasperovičius, 2005).…”

Mathematical Modelling of Growth Intensity of Roadside Plants

“…Atliekant žolinės augmenijos antžeminės dalies aukščio tyrimus, pastebėta, kad druskos kiekis ištirpusiame sniege turi tiesioginės įtakos pakelės augmenijos antžeminės dalies aukščiui: kuo didesnė NaCl koncentracija, tuo antžeminė dalis žemesnė [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11].…”

“…Skaičiuojant antžeminės dalies aukštį (cm) pagal sumodeliuotą lygtį, pirmosios savaitės rezultatai labiausiai neatitiko tikrojo antžeminės dalies aukščio (cm) (iki 83,53 %). 4. Mažiausios tikrojo ir apskaičiuotojo antžeminės dalies aukščio (cm) paklaidos nustatytos tiriant miglę (11,40 % kontrolinių ir 12,32 % 1 g/kg NaCl koncentracijos dirvožemyje), didžiausios -eraičiną (26,19 % kontrolinių ir 28,10 % 1 g/kg NaCl koncentracijos dirvožemyje).…”