Snow And Ice Experts Recommend Safer Alternatives To Rock Salt
Experts say rock salt is ineffective at about 15 degrees Fahrenheit and recommend calcium or magnesium chloride and beet-extract coated blends.
PBS NewsHourThese rock salt alternatives for clearing ice and snow are safer for your pets and yards
PBS NewsHourThese rock salt alternatives for clearing ice and snow are safer for your pets and yards
ABC NewsWhen big snow and ice blow in, most people reach for salt. There are ways to reduce its harms
ABC NewsWhen big snow and ice blow in, most people reach for salt. There are ways to reduce its harms
Overview
Martin Tirado, CEO of the Snow and Ice Management Association, said rock salt (sodium chloride) becomes ineffective at about 15 degrees Fahrenheit and recommends calcium chloride or magnesium chloride for colder conditions.
Pamela Bennett, horticulture professor at Ohio State, said chlorides from deicers can pollute fresh water, damage shrubs and trees and corrode concrete sidewalks and driveways.
Alison Manchester, assistant clinical sciences professor at Cornell University, said pet paw pads can dry, develop cuts from salt crystals and that ingestion of salt can cause vomiting.
Calcium chloride and magnesium chloride typically cost at least twice as much as rock salt, according to Martin Tirado, creating higher expenses for homeowners and municipal budgets.
Commercial deicers coated with beet extract are already marketed and Star's Tech is developing a deicer from invasive starfish material, company materials show.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present largely neutral, practical coverage: editorial choices emphasize balanced expert selection (trade-group CEO, horticulture and veterinary scientists, local roads director), explicit trade-offs (costs, efficacy, environmental harm) and actionable advice. Loaded language is limited and uses expert quotes as source content rather than editorial claims, so the cumulative narrative stays informational, not advocacy.