Calcium chloride and magnesium chloride based dust control agents once enjoyed popularity with road maintenance operations and rural municipalities for controlling fugitive dust on unpaved roads. As time has gone on, these substances have drawn increased scrutiny for their negative ecological impact and potential application hazards.

The mineral content added to the road can sometimes attract unwanted wildlife to the road, increasing the risk of traffic accidents. At the same time, rainfall can cause the chloride based agents to run off the roadbed to pollute the local water table. This also decreases the total effective lifespan and increases reapplication and labor costs.

To answer these salient concerns, EnviRoad® is proud to offer lignin sulfonate as an ecological and cost friendly alternative to chloride based dust control agents.

Lignin is a natural organic material that trees produce to provide structure as they grow. It is commonly used as a cellulose fiber bonding agent in the paper industry. Lignin sulfonate is considered non-toxic. When it is applied at the right concentration to an unpaved roadbed it will not attract wildlife and will not negatively affect the local water table.

Since it is non-corrosive, the lignin sulfonate can be applied without special safety clothing or equipment. This also reduces road closure times.

If you are interested in learning more about the ecological and cost-saving benefits of using lignin sulfonate to control dust on unpaved roads, you should call 1-800-536-2650 to speak to the representatives at the EnviRoad® headquarters in Portland, Oregon.