CMM - January 2012
Common Ice Melt Formulations According to the Missouri Department of Conservation MDC the following are the most popular ice melt formulations and an informational tidbit about each Sodium chloride NaCl This is the most popular ice melting agent because of its availability and relatively low cost It is also potentially the most damaging to plants and soils Sodium chloride is effective as an ice melter only above 15 degrees Fahrenheit Calcium chloride CaCl2 This also used extensively although it is somewhat more expensive than common salt It is much less toxic to plants than common salt but can burn plants if applied heavily Calcium chloride is effective at temperatures to 20 degrees Fahrenheit Ammonium nitrate NH4NO3 This is a fertilizer that is occasionally used for melting ice Ammonium nitrate is destructive to concrete and corrosive to steel Urea CO NH2 2 This has several uses including as a commercial fertilizer and an ice melter It does not cause damage to concrete but is relatively expensive Urea is effective at temperatures above 15 degrees Fahrenheit CM www cmmonline com 41 the Federal Trade Commission FTC has issued the Green Guides that give general guidelines for corporations to follow when making claims that their products are environmentally friendly Green Guides was first published in 1992 updated in 1998 and is currently undergoing further updates Proposed changes can be viewed on www FTC gov but in general the Green Guides essentially states that marketers should not make environmental benefit claims without the appropriate substantiation in place to prove them and that claims should be limited to a specific benefit with clear and prominent qualifications Substantiation may require scientific evidence tests analyses research quantification or other validation Marketing claims should also specify whether they refer to the product the packaging or both What To Look For The U S Environmental Protection Agencys EPA Design for the Environment DfE certification is perhaps the best and most widely known validation for the environmental claims of ice melt products The DfE symbol means that the EPAs scientific review team has thoroughly screened the ice melt product for potential environmental harm and determined that it contains facturer or from a reliable third party Manufacturers who have gone through the effort to secure scientific data that substantiate or quantify their claims or have passed the rigors of a third party validation will be eager to share that information on their packaging and promotional materials only those ingredients that pose the least concern among chemicals in their class Product manufacturers who pass the DfEs strict certification requirements earn the right to display the DfE logo on their recognized products Another certification agency worth noting is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design LEED which uses a suite of rating systems for the design construction and operation of high performance green buildings homes and neighborhoods Developed by the U S Green Building Council USGBC LEED is intended to provide building owners and operators with a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design construction operations and maintenance solutions Although few deicers are currently LEEDcertified demand for environmentally friendly ice melt products will surely grow the number of certified products Heres What Matters What is the key takeaway for maintenance and sanitation professionals When it comes to ice melt finding the terms green or environmentally friendly should be the beginning of your investigation not the end Look for some type of claim substantiation or quantification either from the manu Rob Peterson is senior product manager at North American Salt Company NASC a Compass Minerals Company which manufactures and markets the Safe Step line of deicers for maintenance professionals NASC tests and validates all ice melt performance claims using Strategic Highway Research Protocol procedures and quantifies environmental claims for its products More information can be found at www NASalt com The over application of ice melt products can cause damage to walkways and plant life economic and environmental burdens that are often overlooked
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