Maine Monitor cites UMaine research on road salt

In a story titled “How pesticides, road salt threaten Maine’s water supply,” The Maine Monitor cited a 2022 University of Maine study which found that Maine used 493,000 tons of road salt in 2019-20, equal to roughly 787 pounds of salt for every resident. The evidence of many different pollutants found in road salt can be seen most vividly in the increasing numbers of lakes and streams affected by algae blooms each summer. More development near shorelines, aging septic systems and heavier rainfall are washing bloom-inducing nutrients into waterways, and higher surface water temperatures are creating optimal conditions for algae to thrive. News Center Maine and the Bangor Daily News shared the article from The Maine Monitor.