scholarly journals Can Winter Road De-Icing Affect Mortality of Organisms in Aquatic Ecosystems? An Experimental Approach

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 2524
Author(s):  
Magdalena Frąk ◽  
Piotr Bednarczyk

Road maintenance in winter using de-icing agents, which is widely used in Eastern Europe, is the cause of water salinization in neighbouring environments, which might lead to biodiversity loss in aquatic ecosystems. In this study, we investigated NaCl toxicity to test young organisms: Daphnia magna and Poecilla reticulata (standard tests organisms). The salinity of NaCl was measured by electrolytic conductivity (EC). It was statistically demonstrated that the test solutions should be prepared using natural water. For D. magna the NOEC was 7.17 mS/cm and the LC50 9.76 mS/cm. Poecilla reticulata showed resistance to salinity up to a conductivity of 25.2 mS/cm, and no lethal effects were recorded for any individual in the test population. The study showed that winter salinities recorded in inland waters (without emergencies such as sudden influx of pollutants due to industrial accidents) are unlikely to affect fish but may be hazardous to small plankton. However, the high dare of D. magna may result in a reduction of planktivorous fish.

Author(s):  
Т. В. Самодурова ◽  
О. В. Гладышева ◽  
Н. Ю. Алимова ◽  
Е. А. Бончева

Постановка задачи. Рассмотрена задача моделирования отложения снега во время метелей на автомагистралях с барьерными ограждениями в программе FlowVision . Результаты. В качестве опытного участка рассмотрен участок автомагистрали, проходящий в насыпи. Создана геометрическая модель участка автомагистрали. Обоснованы информационные ресурсы для создания гидродинамической модели обтекания насыпи автомагистрали с барьерными ограждениями снеговетровым потоком во время метелей. Проведено моделирование процесса снегонакопления на опытном участке с использованием программного комплекса FlowVision во время метелей с различными параметрами. Выводы. Сделан вывод о возможности применения программного комплекса FlowVision для совершенствования методики назначения снегозащитных устройств и определения параметров снегоочистки при зимнем содержании автомобильных дорог. Statement of the problem. The problems of snow deposit modeling on the highways with crash barriers during blizzards in the FlowVision was discussed. Results. The highway section passing in the embankment as an experimental section has been considered. The geometric model of the highway section was created. The information resources for designing a hydrodynamic model of a snowflow stream of highway embankment with barriers during blizzard were identified. The modeling of the snow deposit process in the experimental section using the FlowVision software during blizzards with different parameters was carried out. Conclusions. It was concluded that it is possible to use the FlowVision software to improve the methodology for snow protection designing and determining snow removal parameters for winter road maintenance.


2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 511-521
Author(s):  
Lian Gu ◽  
Tae J. Kwon ◽  
Tony Z. Qiu

In winter, it is critical for cold regions to have a full understanding of the spatial variation of road surface conditions such that hot spots (e.g., black ice) can be identified for an effective mobilization of winter road maintenance operations. Acknowledging the limitations in present study, this paper proposes a systematic framework to estimate road surface temperature (RST) via the geographic information system (GIS). The proposed method uses a robust regression kriging method to take account for various geographical factors that may affect the variation of RST. A case study of highway segments in Alberta, Canada is used to demonstrate the feasibility and applicability of the method proposed herein. The findings of this study suggest that the geostatistical modelling framework proposed in this paper can accurately estimate RST with help of various covariates included in the model and further promote the possibility of continuous monitoring and visualization of road surface conditions.


2016 ◽  
Vol 121 ◽  
pp. 108-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ville Hinkka ◽  
Eetu Pilli-Sihvola ◽  
Heikki Mantsinen ◽  
Pekka Leviäkangas ◽  
Aki Aapaoja ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomas Ratkevičius ◽  
Alfredas Laurinavičius

The limited funding for the road industry leads to economizing in the planning of road network maintenance, to identifying the appropriate priorities of the activities with the greatest benefit for the society. The level of maintenance is the direct assessment of the road operation and maintenance service provided to the road users; it directly affects the road maintenance and for road users costs the better is road maintenance, the road users incur the fewerexpenses and vice versa. Insufficient road maintenance in the winter time causes not only the danger of traffic accidents but also worsens the driving conditions, increases the fuel consumption, vehicle depreciation, transportation becomes more expensive. Many results of studies showed that the current choice of maintenance levels in the winter time taking into account only the road category and traffic volume does not ensure the indicators of the most advanced world countries and road functional purpose. The principle of the minimal expenses for the society should be the main criterion in identifying the optimal levels of winter road maintenance. The experience of Lithuania and foreign countries helped in creating the model of assessment of winter maintenance levels for Lithuanian roads of national significance, which can be applied in the other foreign countries as well. This model could be an effective tool for the selection of the optimal maintenance levels, which would economically substantiate the winter road maintenance strategy, that best corresponds to the needs of the society.


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