Democracy Dies in Darkness

Scientists have found a ‘sleeping giant’ of environmental problems: Earth is getting saltier

Salt used to de-ice roads is the single biggest source of salt in the U.S.

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October 31, 2023 at 6:00 a.m. EDT
A snowplow clears a road and spreads salt in the D.C. region in February 2021. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)
5 min

Human activities are making the globe saltier, specifically in our soils, fresh water and air, according to a study released Tuesday in the journal Nature Reviews Earth & Environment.

The excess salt has already caused serious issues in freshwater supplies in recent decades. Saltier water led to brown tap water for months in Montgomery County, Md. It also played a part in creating the toxic lead-laden water in Flint, Mich.