by Playfuls Staff |
18th January 2007
U.S. scientists have found aircraft deicing chemicals are toxic to aquatic life forms.
The U.S. Geological [more] Survey has been examining toxicity of a variety of formulations used to remove or prevent dangerous ice buildup on aircraft. The study confirmed proprietary additives are responsible for the observed toxicity.
The USGS scientists compared nine different formulations of deicers and found neither the primary ingredients -- ethylene glycol and propylene glycol -- nor the known additives accounted for all observed toxicity.
Additives are included to improve a formulation's effectiveness. Those that are proprietary have compositions known only to the manufacturer. Although research conducted in the 1990's revealed the toxicity of proprietary additives, the new study compared numerous deicers and anti-icers and confirmed most still have toxic additives that have not been publicly identified.
"This study suggests that some deicers ... currently in use are safer for the environment than the deicers used in the 1990's," said Steve Corsi, lead author of the USGS study. "But the toxicity profiles of anti-icers -- products that prevent ice and snow buildup -- have not changed significantly."
The findings are detailed in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.
© 2007 UPI
