The Global Economy and Business

An approach to road dust control must bear in mind the type of road along with the environment in which its situated. The answer for any paved road inside the desert will be very different than a unpaved road in the agricultural upper Midwest. Since nuisance dust has many sources from the environment, a lasting answer seriously isn’t feasible. But there are long-term options and very short term solutions to road dust.

The shortest term solution will be the spraying of water on the road surface. This really is an environment-friendly solution, but only lasts until the water evaporates. Oils are a longer term solution, but usually are not nearly as environmentally friendly as water is. In some cases, like with Times Beach in Missouri, the oils are from a unwanted source and contain poisons. The oil which was used for the road dust control product for Times Beach was only six cents a gallon, but contained dioxin and additional toxic chemical compounds. This was a cost-effective solution for this township and its dust problem, but a health and environmental nightmare. This has lead to a ban by many states for the usage of waste oils as a road dust control product.

These days, more attention is put into what covers the roads in any attempt to control road dust. This really is the main reason so much research and development continues to be funded to research environmentally friendly and cheap measures to cut back the quantity of road dust that’s contaminating the areas surrounding our roads as well as the air we breathe. This includes a variety of vegetable oils, non-bituminous chemical substances, electro-chemical stabilization, polymers, enzyme slurries, and the use of chloride salts.

The chloride salts are the most generally employed because these are the least costly of the many road dust control solutions. One can find 4 different ones in use these days which includes calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride, and sodium chloride. Most users are aware the result that two of these, sodium and potassium chlorides, have on their cars because of their use in cold months of winter to prevent ice buildup around the roads.

The usage of calcium chloride for road dust control has occurred for many years. It can be observed that not only had the nuisance dust been reduced but the roads themselves have stayed intact for a longer time. It controls the dust by retaining moisture longer about 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 encompassing vegetation. Lately, there are several companies developing this from naturally evaporated sea water. These chemicals are tested through the EPA, US Army, and are in use in western states by the US Forestry Service.

There still is absolutely not a eternal road dust control product. But there are many solutions which have been showing significant promise and are lasting longer so fewer applications need to be applied. This makes them less expensive on the long term.

As we come into a new decade we are faced with the question of how to manage worldwide warming. We must evaluate all aspects of global warming and resolve what we can do to evade the change. Not to long ago I overheard somebody that I highly respect chatting about the lack of dust control as well as talked about elevated levels of dust pollution that people are creating. So I wanted to scrutinize this possibility from a historical perspective.

When we examen the levels of dust emissions within today’s atmosphere, we gauge this in terms of particulate matter, commonly abridged to merely PM. Particulates are tiny subdivisions of solid matter hovering in the atmosphere. If you could imagine the smallest dust may have began as a hefty bolder. This dust eventually reaches an higher level in our atmosphere from that point it develops a layer of dust insulation. Could it be that our lack of dust control has amplified the levels of dust in the air to the point that it has caused a rise in the earth’s temperature?

when we look way back in history it is easy to realize that man had a minor effect on the environment with a smaller population. There were less cars, building sites, roads and all together a lesser amount of activity to produce fugitive dust. There was not as much farming or tilling of the top soil but as the populace increased the desires of man followed and as a result did the dust.

We look way back at these events and realize man has indeed amplified the levels of dust pollution as a result of their activities. But we should also understand that man has also aided in decreased levels of dust through modernization.

In the past many of the paths that we traveled were prepared from the most accessible material in the general vicinity. It was not rare to find a section of road consisting of no more than earth. The roads are still widespread at present but today we use environmentally dependable products to lower the dust created whilst driving on these roads.

In the past there were normal prairie and forest fires that created dust from the burning foliage, brush and grassland. Not only would the dust levels soar from the burnt vegetation, but the newly scorched earth would now effortlessly release dust particles into the surroundings with a simple change in the winds. Several of the fires were started from a single well placed lightning strike in an desolate area. These fires were left to burn down due to the lack of funds to battle such fires and occasionally the lack of population to report it. These days these fires are instantly attacked and taken into control.

These improvements can simply be credited to the advancement of man and have in fact lowered the levels of dust reaching the atmosphere. In lots of places road dust control has enhanced the roads to the point that one can only just tell if the road is concrete or soil.

After taking into account the odds that man made dust is causing climate change I have come to the conclusion that if anything, man has helped bring down the levels of dust not increased it. I hope this clears the air on this issue. I guess we will just have to blame climate change on sun spots.