An Evaluation of the Ice-Melting Capacity, Ecotoxicity, and Corrosivity of Agro-Based Deicers

Despite being affordable and accessible, traditional road salts have introduced pressing environmental and physical implications. Agro-based deicers decrease the concentration of NaCl required by supplementing a carbohydrate-rich food product. Previous literature has shown that agro-based deicers may be a promising alternative, but potential confounding environmental and physical impacts are still under researched. This study observed prevalent carbohydrates found in fermented food waste–sucrose, fructose, and sorbitol–in brines (23.3 wt% NaCl in water). Each agro-based deicer’s performance and impact attributes were evaluated. The Mechanical Rocker Test for Ice-Melting Capacity (MRT-IMC) was used to determine deicing effectiveness. Ecotoxicity was measured by examining the 24-hour lethality of Daphnia magna. Finally, physical impact was investigated by testing steel corrosion. This three-fold analysis was adopted to holistically evaluate the effectiveness and confounding effects of novel, food-based road salts. The study concluded sorbitol was the best agro-based deicer additive, having outperformed 25.0 wt% NaCl by over 20% at 45 minutes. It also mediated ecotoxicity–with a negative correlation between D. magna lethality and carbohydrate concentration–and presented powerful corrosion-inhibiting properties, especially at higher weight fractions. These results shed light on the innovative formulation of deicers that could help support the sustainability of northern cities globally.