Thanks, Dennis, it sounds like we’re in agreement that getting some good data and an understanding of what’s actually happening is a better approach than making policy decisions based on a hypothesis. Off the top of my head I would imagine this would involve a yearly test of chloride levels in critical habitat, monitoring and total how much salt was applied that year, then doing a survey of ecosystem health indicators such as phytoplankton levels, O2, Cyanobacteria, and counts of invertebrates as well as amphibian adults, eggs, and larvae.
I have no idea how this would get funded, who would spearhead it, etc. There are also a huge number of biotic and abiotic factors that can affect an ecosystem, for instance a fungal disease is responsible for the majority of amphibian extinction worldwide and insecticide or fertilizer runoff can cause huge fluctuations the microorganisms at the base of the food chain, but then there’s the question of how these factors interact with each other, e.g. does pesticide exposure or food scarcity make a salamander more susceptible to disease. So drawing a hard conclusion would be difficult, and if there was evidence that the salt was having a significant impact then a plan would have to be developed to decide where, by what method, and how much salt to apply so that levels are reduced but safety isn't compromised. In the end I think it’s a good discussion to have, and it’s good to ask these kinds of questions. I would assume everyone contributing here wants what’s best for the town and all of its residents, bipedal and web-footed alike. My suggestion to those concerned about the salt’s impact on the wetlands would be to respectfully bring these questions to the town’s conservation and public works departments, but more importantly think about your own impact. It's possible that vehicle mortality is a bigger threat to amphibians in Lincoln than road salt, so driving extra slowly when on warm rainy nights in the spring and summer is a great start. These nights are also a good opportunity to grab a flashlight and some reflective gear and see if there are individuals you could help across the road, just bring them in the direction they were facing, hold them carefully, and moisten your hands with water before touching them. Many of them are headed to vernal pools in order to breed, so each individual you save from getting smushed will end up reproducing and giving rise to the next generation. It's also a great opportunity for kids to get to see animals that are mostly invisible during the day and to learn about their life cycles. Best, Corey On Tue, Jan 18, 2022 at 1:10 AM Dennis Liu <[email protected]> wrote: > Corey, thanks for sharing that. I took a look at the article you cited, > but, like you, I don't have access to the full article. Just reading the > abstract does inform me that the primary risk that they were studying is > from chloride, rather than sodium. The abstract describes what they > studied, but provides zero information on the practical effects. Maybe the > full article does. As it stands, however, this cited abstract is, > unfortunately, not helpful in providing answers to the questions we have: > > 1. Does the amount of salt that Lincoln uses actually cause meaningful > increases in high chloride concentrations in groundwater and surface > water? > 2. If so, then does that higher Cl or NaCl level actually cause the > warned-about effects, namely on the abiotic processes and biotic response > to chloride exposure? Does this mean that Lincoln is actually seeing, or > likely to see, after decades of salting roads, a material change in our > current ecosystem due to the warned-about possibilities? > > Definitely curious about this aspect of the problem too. Bottom line, > since Lincoln (and all other municipalities) has been salting roads for > decades, I'm definitely eager to learn why this might cause substantial > changes to our local ecology now -- if the spring peepers and wood frogs on > Lexington road that both Corey and I enjoy hearing haven't been affected, > AFAIK, over the last 40-50 years, how would things change now? > > Thanks, > > --Dennis > > -----Original Message----- > From: Lincoln <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Corey Nimmer > Sent: Monday, January 17, 2022 9:37 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [LincolnTalk] Just how much real danger does sodium in our > drinking water present? > > I’m not sure how much of a concern the salt is for drinking water, and > your conclusions here appeal to common sense. I’d also imagine a basic > water filter would remove a fair amount of sodium. > > With regards to the wildlife impact of road salt, it is pretty thoroughly > documented in peer reviewed studies that runoff salt has a negative impact > on freshwater wetland ecosystems. This article is a literature review > published in Science of the Total Environment this year: > > https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34536879/ > > Basically excessive levels of chloride can decrease plant and animal > biodiversity while increasing the growth of phytoplankton, which can > accelerate eutrophication in a similar way to runoff nitrogen fertilizer. > > Lincoln has a high concentration of wetlands, especially vernal pools, > which are critical breeding grounds for amphibians, some of which are > endangered such as the blue spotted salamander. It’s a subjective opinion, > but I feel like amphibians are essential pieces of Lincoln’s character and > story. I hope there doesn’t come a day when the air isn’t filled with the > sound of spring peepers and wood frogs on warm rainy nights. Not sure if > the data exists, but I’d be interested to know if/how the health of our > wetlands has changed in recent years. > > All that being said, I agree that safety and avoiding auto accidents > should be paramount. I don’t have access to the full article above but it > looks like alternative formulations/chemicals aren’t much better for > wetlands, so an engineering-based approach is necessary to determine a salt > application plan that optimizes safety while minimizing environmental > impact. Chloride levels would have to be tested, critical habitat > identified, accident data analyzed, and alternative application techniques > explored in order to formulate a plan with the goal to apply enough salt to > prevent ice formation while having the lowest possible amount of runoff > into certain areas. Like any initiative this would require time, money, and > support from residents, so I’m not holding my breath, but I think it’s > worth considering, especially if data shows that our wetland ecosystems are > in decline. > > Corey Nimmer > Owner/Photographer > Corey Flint Photography > www.coreyflint.com > (617) 319-3913 > > > > > -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to [email protected]. > Search the archives at http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/. > Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/ > . > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. > > >
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