The main pros to heated roads and walkways include how convenient the system is, the overall health concerns are not as extreme, and it is much better for the environment. It is convenient because the snow and ice are melt effortlessly and in minimal amounts of time. The systems can often be programmed to heat based on a regular hours or on a temperature trigger, but it can be manually turned off and on as well.
Studies have shown that salinity is posing a major threat to the freshwater river systems, as organisms thriving in such rivers can live and tolerate only certain levels of water salinity. Secondary salinisation (increase in salt levels caused by human interventions a.k.a salts used in winter and sands) is impacting at the individual, population, community and ecosystem levels, thus ultimately leading to biodiversity losses and apparently allowing alien species to thrive in these ecosystems.
I did my own research into how high the salinity levels were in the Pemigewasset River, here in Plymouth. The device I used to take these tests was called a conductivity probe. Basically, how this device is used is conductivity can be used to determine the practical amount of Total Dissolved Solids (in fact, our probe readily switches between conductivity and TDS modes). TDS is essentially the same thing as salinity, especially in freshwater. The results of this test are as shown:
PPM(Parts Per Million) PPT(Parts Per Thousand)
The left image displays the parts per million salinity levels of the freshwater river here at campus and the right image displays the parts per thousand salinity levels. While the parts per million is not quite at the 500 cap level it is dangerously close. The parts per thousand test greatly exceeded the 0.5 level cap at a whopping, 0.42.
This goes to show that we do effect even our direct contact of freshwater even if it does not seem like it. So far, our methods to decreasing the snow on the roads and walkways has been a recurring struggle but it does not have to be. I believe that if we are able to install heated roadways and sidewalks for our small area on campus, we can both, decrease our carbon footprint which is better for the environment and ultimately, us as well. We can also save a good chunk of the schools budget that gets used for snow clearing safe maintaining.
Electric Snow Melting System Installed in Driveway
Works Cited
Canedo-Arguelles, Miguel, et al. “Salinisation of Rivers: An Urgent Ecological
Issue.”Environmental Pollution, Elsevier, 28 Nov. 2012,
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749112004502.
Drew, Shawn. “Are Heated Driveways Worth the Cost?” Angie's List, 19 Aug. 2016,
www.angieslist.com/articles/are-heated-driveways-worth-cost.htm.
“Freshwater.” Freshwater - New World Encyclopedia, 12 May 2017,
www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Freshwater.
Miller, Sarah. “Salt Level Rise in Freshwater Rivers Causing Biodiversity Loss, Says
Study.”Nature World News, 1 Feb. 2013,
www.natureworldnews.com/articles/598/20130201/salinity-freshwater-rivers-biodiversity-global-warming.htm.