• Influences of Deicing Agent Usage on the Variation of Conservative Ion Concentrations in Groundwater According to Meteorological Characteristics: Suggestions for Public Data Availability

  • Hanna Choi1,2, JongGyu Han3, Sooyeon Han3*

  • 1Climate Change Response Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Daejeon 34132, Korea
    2Geological Science, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34113, Korea
    3Geology and Space Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Daejeon 34132, Korea

  • 기상특성에 따른 제설제 사용이 지하수 보존성 이온의 농도변화에 미치는 영향 연구: 공공데이터의 활용과 제언

  • 최한나1,2·한종규3·한수연3*

  • 1 한국지질자원연구원 기후변화대응연구본부
    2 과학기술연합대학원대학교 지질과학
    3 한국지질자원연구원 국토우주지질연구본부

  • This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Calcium chloride (CaCl2) and industrial sodium chloride (NaCl) are commonly used as deicing agents in Korea, which are expected to release dissolved chloride ions into the road surfaces following their application. This study aimed to comprehensively assess the usage of deicing agents and variations in groundwater quality between 2016 and 2022 by analyzing public data provided by various domestic institutions. Additionally, the study sought to identify factors contributing to deteriorating road conditions by comparing the amount of CaCl2 appied and the incidence of potholes. Pothole occurrences during the study period were primarily reported during heavy rainfall periods without application of deicing agents. In 2022, chloride ion concentrations in groundwater in the southeastern Korean Peninsula were significantly higher than in previous years, coinciding with severe cold waves and heavy snowfall that resulted in increased deicing agent use. However, further data collection and verification are needed to distinguish between the effects of seawater intrusion and deicing agents. Despite limitations in the completeness and consistency of public data, the research highlighted the urgent need for improved data quality and further field verification to fully understand and mitigate the environmental impacts of deicing agents.


Keywords: Deicing Agent, Groundwater, Conservative Ion, Pothole, Public Data

This Article

  • 2024; 29(4): 44-57

    Published on Aug 30, 2024

  • 10.7857/JSGE.2024.29.4.044
  • Received on Jul 25, 2024
  • Revised on Aug 5, 2024
  • Accepted on Aug 19, 2024

Correspondence to

  • Sooyeon Han

  • Geology and Space Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Daejeon 34132, Korea

  • E-mail: syhan@kigam.re.kr