Dust Control – Soil Stabilization – Erosion Control

An approach to road dust control  must take into account the type of road and the terrain in which it is situated. The solution for a paved road in the desert will be very different than a gravel road in the rural upper Midwest. Since nuisance dust has many sources in the environment, a permanent solution is not feasible. But there are long term solutions and very short term solutions to road dust .

The shortest term solution is the spraying of water on the road surface. This is an environment-friendly solution, but only lasts until the water evaporates. Oils are a longer term solution, but are not nearly as environmentally friendly as water is. In some cases, like with Times Beach in Missouri, the oils are from a waste source and contain toxins. The oil that was used as the road dust control  product for Times Beach was only 6 cents a gallon, but contained dioxin and other toxic chemicals. This was an economical solution for the town and its dust problem, but a health and environmental nightmare. This has lead to a ban by many states for the use of waste oils as a road dust control product.

Today, more thought is put into what covers the roads in any attempt to control road dust This is the reason so must research and development has been funded to find environmentally friendly and cost effective measures to reduce the amount of road dust that is contaminating the areas surrounding our roads and the air we breathe. This includes many different vegetable oils, non-bituminous chemicals, electro-chemical stabilizers, polymers, enzyme slurries, and the use of chloride salts.

The chloride salts are the most widely used because they are the least expensive of all the road dust control products . There are four different ones in use today which includes calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride, and sodium chloride. Most people are aware the effect that two of these, sodium and potassium chlorides, have on their vehicles because of their use in the winter months to prevent ice buildup on the roads.

The use of calcium chloride for road dust control has occurred for many years. It has been noticed that not only had the nuisance dust been reduced but the roads themselves have stayed intact longer. It controls the dust by retaining moisture longer on the surface than other materials. This moisture level makes the dust particles too heavy to become airborne.

Not as cost effective, but longer lasting and more environmentally friendly, is a magnesium chloride solution. This hydroscopic chemical works in the same way that calcium chloride does, but with less damage to vehicles and the surrounding vegetation. Lately, there have been several companies developing this from naturally evaporated sea water. These chemicals have been tested by the EPA, US Army, and are in use in western states by the US Forestry Service.

There still is not a permanent road dust control product. But there are many solutions that are showing significant promise and are lasting longer so fewer applications need to be applied. This makes them more cost effective in the long term.