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Road salt, spread widely to melt ice and improve winter driving safety, does not disappear once the snow melts. Runoff carries dissolved sodium and chloride into storm drains, streams, and eventually rivers, where concentrations can remain elevated long after the thaw. Because chloride ions do not break down or evaporate, they accumulate in slow-moving waterways and groundwater over successive winters. Aquatic organisms adapted to freshwater conditions, including some fish and amphibian larvae, can suffer physiological stress when salinity rises even modestly above natural baselines. Some municipalities have begun trialling beet juice or brine mixtures, which require smaller quantities of chloride to achieve similar de-icing effects. While these alternatives reduce chloride load, they are not yet in widespread use, partly due to higher upfront costs and limited local supply.