Recent data suggests that higher road salt usage in Toronto is leading to increased chloride levels in local waterways, with significant impacts on aquatic life. Research from the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority indicates that out of 47 monitoring stations, 36 show rising chloride trends. With some areas exceeding safe limits established by environmental guidelines, experts warn that excessive salt can be harmful, with concentrations above 640 mg/L being lethal for sensitive aquatic species. This is a pressing environmental issue that requires immediate attention and action for waterway health.
"We look kind of longer term, and what we're seeing is that of the 47 stations across our jurisdiction, 36 of them are showing increasing trends in chloride over time," said Lyndsay Cartwright, a research scientist with the TRCA.
"When you hit 640 mg/L, species die," said Claire Oswald, Associate Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies at Toronto Metropolitan University.
"Different aquatic species are going to have different tolerances to chloride, but a lot of the more sensitive ones will die," she said.
Oswald says some salt used for winter maintenance gets stuck in soil and in underground water sources, moving slower through the ecosystem.
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