Why does air pollution worsen during the winter time? You may remember from scientific experiments in school, that cold air sinks and warm air rises. Cold air is more dense and therefore moves more slowly than warm air. Sinking cold air can create an atmospheric cap over the earth’s surface, while warm air passes over the top. This cap prevents pollution from dissipating or being blown away, and creates unhealthy conditions for anyone living within it.

Let’s take a closer look at 2 types of air pollution that worsen during the winter months, and how we can increase our environmental responsibility.

It is common knowledge that excessive use of deicers can impact the environment. Sometimes in our over-eagerness to improve winter safety and restore travel convenience, deicers are over-applied to our roadways. Over-application can lead to higher than normal levels of salt and other chlorides in the surrounding natural environment. In order to balance road safety with environmental responsibility, we must take a closer look at deicers’ environmental impact, how it occurs, and what steps can be taken to reduce this impact.