Toxic formulations

The US Geological Survey (USGS) has been examining the relative toxicity to aquatic life from a variety of formulations used to remove or prevent dangerous ice build-up on aircraft.

A recent study has confirmed that proprietary additives are responsible for the observed toxicity. This USGS study, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, compared nine different formulations. Neither the primary ingredients (ethylene glycol and propylene glycol) nor the known additives accounted for all observed toxicity of these formulations.

Additives are included to improve a formulation's effectiveness. Those that are proprietary have compositions known only to the manufacturer. Although research conducted in the mid 1990's revealed the toxicity of proprietary additives, this study compared numerous de-icers and anti-icers and confirmed that most still have toxic additives that have not been publicly identified.

‘This study suggests that some de-icers — products that remove snow and ice build-up - that are currently in use are safer for the environment than the de-icers used in the 1990's,’ said Steve Corsi, USGS scientist and lead author of this study. ‘But the toxicity profiles of anti-icers — products that prevent ice and snow build-up — have not changed significantly.’