Suppress Dust and Improve Air Quality with Calcium Chloride
How Calcium Chloride Reduces Respiratory and Air Quality Impacts of Unpaved Roads
Airborne dust produced by unpaved gravel and dirt roads can worsen air quality and trigger skin and eye irritation, allergic reactions, and other respiratory issues including asthma. Dust can also create hazardous driving conditions in the form of reduced visibility and slippery roads; harm grass and plants; and be a nuisance as it coats clothes, vehicles, and homes.
Calcium chloride has long been the preferred means for dust control of unpaved surfaces, making roads safer and cutting down on maintenance costs. When liquid and solid calcium chloride products are used in gravel and dirt road maintenance programs as a means of dust control, they effectively extend the life of unpaved roads while improving health and safety and protecting our natural environment. They also reduce airborne dust, leading to better air quality. Perhaps the most noticeable impact to drivers and nearby residents is improved air quality and reduction of dust allergens in the air.
How Calcium Chloride Works to Suppress Dust and Improve Air Quality
Calcium chloride’s unique properties make it ideal for controlling dust on unpaved roads and keeping it from becoming airborne.
Calcium chloride is a hygroscopic chemical, drawing moisture from the air to form a solution in road gravel that keeps road surfaces constantly damp, even in hot, dry conditions. This moisture causes fine dust particles to clump together, which makes them heavier and less likely to become airborne. The moisture also helps to bind particles together to create a hard and compact road surface. Because it penetrates several inches into the road base, calcium chloride also contributes to overall road surface stability.
By holding the dust to the road surface, calcium chloride minimizes how much dust can be moved by passing vehicles. What’s more, calcium chloride provides long-lasting, year-round benefits. Compared to water, calcium chloride is slow to evaporate, so it suppresses dust longer and continues to absorb moisture all winter long.
All of which helps minimize any adverse effects on air quality and keeps dust inhalation to a minimum for drivers and nearby residents with allergies, asthma, or other respiratory problems.
OxyChem Dust Control Products Go the Extra Mile
LIQUIDOW®—typically applied in concentrations of 35% or 38%—controls dust on gravel roads by attracting moisture from the air to keep the surface damp, even in hot, dry conditions. With 10% more active ingredient than conventional calcium chloride flake products, DOWFLAKE® Xtra 83-87% Calcium Chloride Flakes give you greater pound-for-pound dust control.
With either product, you get the value-added extras of reliable supply, consistent quality, quick response and leading technical service and support provided by OxyChem. Contact us today to learn more.