Frozen Assets

Produced by The Centre for Industry Education Collaboration (CIEC), this activity engages students to consider the responsible use of chemicals and an analysis of the impact of a product through all the stages in its life. In this context, students attempt an analysis for different de-icers that might be used on roads in winter. They consider the costs and other factors involved before selecting de-icers for use in some sensitive locations.

In performing his analysis, students:

* Carry out practical work to investigate the action and the environmental impact of different de-icers. The performance of de-icers and their effect on road-side plants and the structural integrity of bridges and tunnels are included

* Analyse data on, road repair costs, sensitivity of trees to dissolved salts and the frequency of road traffic accidents, to work out the true costs of using different de-icers

* Make decisions about the choice of de-icers in sensitive locations

* Plan additional investigations that would be necessary to collect further evidence

In doing the activities, students gain a greater understanding of scientific concepts including the lowering of freezing point, osmosis, corrosion, salts and environmental auditing.