Salt pollution in freshwater is an escalating global issue, harming plants, degrading soils, and deteriorating water quality. Urban areas face significant challenges as road salts used for winter de-icing wash into stormwater systems, affecting infrastructure and posing health risks.

Salts disrupt key processes like filtration and retention in urban stormwater management systems. Megan Rippy, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, investigates how salts impact plants in stormwater detention basins and explores the potential for phytoremediation—using plants to mitigate salt pollution.

"Plants are crucial for green infrastructure, but only 1 percent, called halophytes, can thrive in highly saline environments," Rippy explained. "Understanding the risks salts pose to green systems and the potential of salt-tolerant plants is essential."

Rippy’s yearlong study of stormwater detention basins in Northern Virginia examined the effects of road salts on plants, soils, and water quality. Published in Science of the Total Environment, the research revealed that salt levels in these systems often threaten plant communities. Unfortunately, relying solely on salt-tolerant plants for mitigation is insufficient, as they absorb only limited amounts of salt.

Basins draining roads had the highest salt levels, significantly stressing plants, followed by basins near parking lots. Basins draining grassy areas exhibited little to no salt stress. Among the 255 plant species studied, 48 native species showed salt tolerance, with cattails absorbing the most salt.

The team analyzed 14 detention basins across Northern Virginia over four seasons, measuring salt levels in water, soil, and plant tissues. The Occoquan Watershed Monitoring Laboratory conducted water sample analyses, assessing electrical conductivity and salt ion concentrations.

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While salt-tolerant plants like cattails demonstrated some potential, their effectiveness in salt removal was limited. Even in basins densely planted with cattails, only 5 to 6 percent of road salt applied during winter was removed. "The salt removed by cattails equates to the mass of one or two adults," said Rippy. "This pales in comparison to the salt applied on roads and parking lots, showing plants are not a standalone solution."

Climate change may also influence salt stress in stormwater systems. Milder winters with more rain and less snow could reduce road salt application, aligning salt levels with plants' absorption capacity. However, regions with persistent snow cover might face challenges such as delayed deicer runoff and altered plant growth, complicating salt management.

This research highlights the need for comprehensive strategies that combine phytoremediation with broader approaches to managing road salt application, paving the way for more sustainable stormwater systems.