Environmental Hazard Socks for containing Saline Runoff on roads

THE CHALLENGE

The widespread use of road deicing salts—over 20 million tons annually in the U.S.—has created a growing environmental challenge, as these salts wash into waterways and infrastructure, causing corrosion, aquatic toxicity, and escalating water treatment costs. Current solutions, such as salt-tolerant plants, biochar amendments, and ion-exchange resins, fall short due to limited effectiveness during winter, short operational lifespans, high maintenance, and prohibitive costs. Traditional green infrastructure can’t handle peak runoff or dissolved ions efficiently, while high-tech options like reverse osmosis and chemical treatments are costly and complex to implement at scale. This leaves a significant market gap for a cost-effective, durable, and easy-to-deploy technology that can actively remove both anionic (like chloride) and cationic (like sodium, calcium) components from stormwater in real-world, high-flow conditions—without the drawbacks of existing systems.

OUR SOLUTION

We offer a reusable, modular “sock” or boom made from a porous polymer mesh filled with a customizable blend of salt-binding materials like zeolites, biochar, hemp fibers, or ion-exchange resins. As salty runoff flows through, the device captures harmful ions—such as sodium and chloride—while also slowing water discharge. Once full, it can be easily removed, regenerated with a simple wash process, and redeployed, creating a closed-loop system. Unlike single-use filters or seasonal plant-based methods, this solution offers year-round performance, fits directly into existing stormwater infrastructure, and scales from small sites to large urban areas. With low operational costs, simple maintenance, and recoverable materials, it provides a cost-effective and sustainable way for municipalities, businesses, and property managers to comply with environmental regulations and reduce long-term infrastructure damage.

Figure: Porous ion-binding “socks” filtering parking lot runoff at VT Corporate Research Center, with visible salt residue.

Advantages:

• Reusable, regenerable design with closed-loop salt recovery
• Passive, energy-free operation with no external power required
• Dual cation–anion binding for broad-spectrum ion removal
• Modular, low-cost deployment adaptable to various runoff sites

Potential Application:

• Highway and parking lot runoff treatment
• Municipal stormwater and drinking water pre-treatment
• Industrial wastewater salt removal
• Deicing salt recovery and recycling