De-Ice Nicely
From Health.com — December 2004
Aviva Patz

If you live in northern climates and periodically face slippery ice on your sidewalk, steps, and driveway, you need rock salt to melt away the hazard, right? Maybe not. The stuff has health risks-a fact that goes unrecognized in two-thirds of the U.S. households using it, according to a recent survey. And, fortunately, you've got better options.

Experts have long known that those little sodium chloride pellets pose dangers, especially to children and pets. Saltbased ice melts can irritate eyes, and accidentally ingesting them can cause stomachaches and kidney damage. Direct contact with skin (after, say, you track salt across floors where kids play) can lead to dermatitis, a blistered, swollen rash. Dogs or cats can develop severe burns between their paw pads from salt, and when they lick them to relieve the soreness, the chemical can make them vomit and become dehydrated. Road salt may also contaminate groundwater, kill plants, burn grass, and poison birds.

Safer bets: sand or kitty litter, says the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, or pine needles, say Cornell University experts. You might also consider Safe Paw (www.safepaw.com), a no-salt chemical recommended by environment advocates that's designed to stay clear of the water supply. For extra insurance against accidental ingestion, keep de-icers in a sealed container on a high shelf.