Road Dust Control

Posts Tagged ‘dust control products’

An approach to road dust control  must take into account the type of road and the terrain in which it is situated. The solution for a paved road in the desert will be very different than a gravel road in the rural upper Midwest. Since nuisance dust has many sources in the environment, a permanent solution is not feasible. But there are long term solutions and very short term solutions to road dust .

The shortest term solution is the spraying of water on the road surface. This is an environment-friendly solution, but only lasts until the water evaporates. Oils are a longer term solution, but are not nearly as environmentally friendly as water is. In some cases, like with Times Beach in Missouri, the oils are from a waste source and contain toxins. The oil that was used as the road dust control  product for Times Beach was only 6 cents a gallon, but contained dioxin and other toxic chemicals. This was an economical solution for the town and its dust problem, but a health and environmental nightmare. This has lead to a ban by many states for the use of waste oils as a road dust control product.

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