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Closing the chloride loop: Halophyte biomass for circular road salt management
Amanda Chiasson1, Klementina Dimovska1, Andrew Ramesbottom2
1Queen's University, 99 University Ave, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada.
Journal of Environmental Management
|June 3, 2026
Summary
This study shows active leaching can recover nearly all road salt from salt-tolerant plants, offering a sustainable solution for managing chloride contamination and plant biomass.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Bioremediation
- Sustainable Chemistry
Background:
- Road salt (chloride) contamination is a growing environmental issue in urban areas.
- Salt-tolerant plants (halophytes) can absorb chloride but create salt-laden biomass.
- Managing this biomass is a challenge for effective phytoremediation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate water-based leaching methods for chloride recovery from halophyte biomass.
- To assess the feasibility of reclaiming road salt from vegetation.
- To explore sustainable winter maintenance practices.
Main Methods:
- Tested passive rinsing and active leaching on Panicum virgatum and Sporobolus michauxianus biomass.
- Quantified chloride recovery efficiency and water usage for each method.
- Estimated annual chloride recovery potential based on field data.
Main Results:
- Active leaching recovered nearly 100% of chloride, using significantly less water than passive rinsing (up to 70% recovery).
- Estimated annual recovery of 4-21 g Cl-/m² from halophyte stands, comparable to road salt application.
- Demonstrated a scalable approach for reclaiming chloride from phytoremediation biomass.
Conclusions:
- Active leaching is an efficient method for recovering chloride from salt-laden biomass.
- Biomass-based salt recovery offers a circular economy approach to reduce salt procurement and improve sustainability.
- Further research on life-cycle and cost-benefit analyses is needed for implementation.
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