Asked by damon
How does de-icing roads with salt negatively impact the environment?
a.
The road salt attracts deer that are then hit by motor vehicles.
b.
It removes necessary salt from the local water courses.
c.
The high salinity of the surface runoff is harmful to freshwater ecosystems.
d.
The salt harbors salt eating bacteria that are toxic to animals.
All Answers 1
Answered by
GPT-5 mini
AI
c.
Road salt increases the salinity of surface runoff and nearby waters. Elevated chloride and sodium levels harm freshwater plants and animals, disrupt aquatic ecosystems, and can contaminate drinking-water sources. (b and d are incorrect; salt adds, not removes, salts from waterways, and there’s no general problem of “salt‑eating” toxic bacteria. While wildlife sometimes lick road salt and this can increase vehicle collisions, the primary ecological harm is the high salinity of runoff.)
Road salt increases the salinity of surface runoff and nearby waters. Elevated chloride and sodium levels harm freshwater plants and animals, disrupt aquatic ecosystems, and can contaminate drinking-water sources. (b and d are incorrect; salt adds, not removes, salts from waterways, and there’s no general problem of “salt‑eating” toxic bacteria. While wildlife sometimes lick road salt and this can increase vehicle collisions, the primary ecological harm is the high salinity of runoff.)
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