Gojohnnygo.

I have been getting very large clouds of salt dust tossed up in my face by passing motorist. I'm wondering how bad is the salt dust bad for your lungs?

Thulsadoom

I don't suppose it's any worse than the regular road dust that gets tossed up by passing motorists in the summer............

ghettocruiser

Road salt often contains cyanide.

https://www.ec.gc.ca/substances/ese/e.../roadsalts.cfm

Yikes. Let's hope... that component doesn't become airborne?

deanp

I noticed the same thing when riding Sunday, you could taste it in the air.

Gojohnnygo.

Cyanide Just great I think its time for one of those filter mask? The roads here have been plastered with salt for the last month. Its so bad you can't see the fog line at all. It just blends in to the winter white road surface. I have a few sections were it feels like your riding on gravel but I'm on pavement.

al-wagner

Theirs salt in almost all our food.

Tequila Joe

I work in an industrial area so I follow a lot of tractor trailers along my route. I bought a Respro Techno to filter out the diesel fumes. It works well in that aspect. It also use it as a wind break on my winter commutes when temps go below 10F (-10C). I couldn't stand how wet/frozen/gross my balaclava got as it presses against my face. This mask sits away from your mouth/nose so it doesn't get sopping wet.

The only problem I have with it is that it restricts air intake. On moderate paced commutes, its OK but when putting out hard efforts, I find that I can't get O2 fast enough so I pull the mask down. I find that exhailation is fine because of the valves.

https://www.respro.com/sportsleisure_street.php

T.J.

deanp

We had a another couple rounds of snow this week, but today it warmed greatly. I got in 29 good miles and I was white from the waist down when I got home. It seemed like I was drinking salt water, the salt just crusted on the top of bottle. Hopefully we'll get a shower to rinse the streets off.

divineAndbright

They don't use salt where I live, but sand, eck. I'd take salt any day, at least it doesnt impede traction and get into your drive train (or if it does at least it ain't going to last). I've go so much sand in my chain rollers, it also found its way into my freewheel, I hear it grinding everytime I pedal, with all the sand my bicycle collects in winter I can fill a good 10 park sandboxes.

cruentus

Salt destroys metal, especially aluminum. The only time I stop riding in winter is when there it too much ice on the roads, or the roads are covered with salt. Currently the roads are completely salt covered around here, so I'm not riding. Rain is predicted later this week so the salt should be washed away and I can get back in the saddle.

Gojohnnygo.

Thanks I'm looking into that same mask.

Gojohnnygo.

Yes salt is in most of are food. I'm worried about what ever chemicals they just might mix with the salt to bring down the temps at which salt melts ice more efficiently. Or do they even mix chemicals with salt? I think so.

Godwin

They use iodine in most salts. Start cooking your own food and use sea salt (and less or no salt if possible), or buy from heath food stores that make their food with sea salt.

Stevie Boy

Iodine is fairly important for your diet. Prevents goiters, that's why they put the iodine into our food. I can't remember why, but our diet has changed so that we don't get much iodine anymore.

And doesn't salt corrode steel, not aluminum?

ken cummings

Cities and States will use common salt, mined in places like New York and Louisiana. Almost chemically pure. With tiny amounts of dust removed you cook with it. I have worked in salt mines and your eyes would be stung shut by the salt before you could inhale/eat enough to hurt you. My own sweat in my eyes was far more of a problem. Private companies and individuals might used calcium chloride to improve melting. That is more dangerous, corrosive, and too expensive to use on a city-wide scale. Watch out for private driveways and some parking lots. Give your City Engineers or road departments a call to find out about their salt use. My peeve is with sand. Had to change my chain after each winter in the Denver Area.

cruentus

Common road salt will corrode most metals, but is especially destructive to aluminum.

Gojohnnygo.

Ken thanks for the help. I feel better now.