This winter, icy roads in Howard County will be treated with a new product called Ice Bite which is a combination of salt brine and molasses. According to this story by Michael Dresser in The Sun today, this product “will be used in a pilot project in Frederick and Howard counties to test its effectiveness in pre-treating highways before spraying salt.”
It is apparently better for the environment too.
“Christopher P. Swan, an ecologist and associate professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, has studied the impact of rising salt levels in streams - frequently attributed to heavy road salt application. He said he's found subtle but potentially significant changes in the development of grey tree frogs, aquatic insects and zooplankton, the microscopic animals in water that feed on algae.
Swan says he thinks using the molasses-based product as a supplement to rock salt would probably help reduce the amount of salt that is getting into area streams.”
I guess it’s not just for baking anymore….
Dream On
2 hours ago
