Environmental Science Lab Assignment
LAB: The Impacts of Road Deicers on the Environment/Plants: Final Analysis
Overview: The purpose of the Lab was to assess the overall environmental impact that different commercial de-icers have. In addition to having detrimental effects on aquatic life, ice melters have been documented to dehydrate and kill trees and plants growing next to roadways. When weighed against the need to maintain roads and highways in a safe condition, the practical question is: Can deicer be used in an effective way to minimize the impact on the environment?
Recall the known impacts of some of the products:
Table 1. De-icing agents and their known environmental impacts
De-Icer to add to your flask Claims of product Melts ice at what temperature
None (control) n/a n/a
NaCl-based de-icer solution No claims 10-15F
MgCl-based de-icer solution Plant-friendly -20F
CaCl-based de-icer solution environmentally-friendly 0F
HCOONa/urea-based de-icer solution (sodium formate/urea) Pet-friendly (doesn’t burn paws/non-toxic if paws licked) -2F
sand Environmentally-friendly Does not melt ice, rather serves as an abrasive
Beet juice mixture Environmentally-friendly 20F
Table 2: Condition of grass one week after adding various de-Icing agents
De-Icer Description of grass
None (control) Green, healthy
NaCl (sodium chloride/rock salt)
All dead/very little blades even left!
MgCl (magnesium chloride) All dead
CaCl (calcium chloride)
Slightly green, but mostly dead
HCOONa (sodium formate/urea) All dead
sand Green/healthy
Beet juice mixture
Green/healthy
Discussion/Conclusions: Using the data collected, answer the following questions
1. At the end of the experiment, rank in order best to worst which de-icers had least impact on the environment versus which had the worst.
Rank decicer Justification for decision/data to support your answer
0
(least impact)
1
2
3
4
5
6
(most impact)
2. Which de-icing product would you use in your own home and why?
3. Did any of the grass/groups actually improve over time after being affected negatively at first by the deicer?
4. You are a salesperson that works on commission, selling the product that had the most impact on the environment. How do you sell your product to the consumer?
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