The ecosystem implications of road salt as a pollutant of freshwaters

Salt pollution is a threat to freshwater ecosystems. Anthropogenic salt inputs increase lake and stream salinity, and consequently change aquatic ecosystem structure and function. Elevated salt concentrations impact species directly not only through osmoregulatory stress, but also through community-level feedbacks that change the flow of energy and materials through food webs. Here, we discuss the implications of road salt pollution on freshwater rivers and lakes and how one size fits all ecotoxicity thresholds may not adequately protect aquatic organisms.This article is categorized under:Science of Water > Water QualityWater and Life > Nature of Freshwater EcosystemsWater and Life > Stresses and Pressures on Ecosystems

Automated summary

Salt pollution poses a threat to freshwater ecosystems by altering the salinity of lakes and streams, which in turn affects the structure and function of these ecosystems. It directly impacts species through osmoregulatory stress and also has community-level effects on energy and material flow in food webs.