Are Rain Gardens Resistant to Salinization Stresses? The Consequences of De-Icing Chemicals’ Implementation for Soil Health, Plant Condition, and Groundwater Quality

Olga Romzaykina, Viacheslav Vasenev (), Ekaterina Kozlova, Igor Shchukin, Artem Losev and Andrey Smagin
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Olga Romzaykina: The Research Center “Smart Technologies for Sustainable Development of the Urban Environment in the Global Change”, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia Named After Patrice Lumumba, 117198 Moscow, Russia
Viacheslav Vasenev: Soil Geography and Landscape Group, Wageningen University, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
Ekaterina Kozlova: The Research Center “Smart Technologies for Sustainable Development of the Urban Environment in the Global Change”, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia Named After Patrice Lumumba, 117198 Moscow, Russia
Igor Shchukin: Department of Heat and Gas Supply, Ventilation and Water Supply and Sewerage, Perm National Research Polytechnic University, 614990 Perm, Russia
Artem Losev: The Research Center “Smart Technologies for Sustainable Development of the Urban Environment in the Global Change”, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia Named After Patrice Lumumba, 117198 Moscow, Russia
Andrey Smagin: Faculty of Soil Science, Institute of Ecological Soil Science, Moscow State University, 119192 Moscow, Russia

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 5, 1-25

Abstract: Rain gardens are efficient nature-based solutions (NBSs) for the sustainable management of surface run-off in urban areas. The functionality of a rain garden in an urban environment depends on the resistance of plant and soil components to anthropogenic stressors. In temperate climates, the negative effects of de-icing chemicals applied in wintertime are one of the major anthropogenic stressors for the rain gardens’ ecosystem. The research aimed to study the effect of a NaCl-based de-icer in the mesocosm experiment, where materials of soil mixtures (seven parts by volume of quartz or carbonate sand and three parts by volume of loam or peat), plants ( Hemerocallis hybrida ), de-icer dose (529 mg L −1 for Cl − and 472 mg L −1 for Na + concentrations), and irrigation period simulated typical conditions for the Moscow city—the largest world megapolis with permanent snow cover during the wintertime. For all soil mixtures, a short-term negative impact of salinization on soil health included a decrease in microbial biomass (4–7-times) and basal respiration (2–3.6-times). After six months, soil health indicators recovered by 80–90% in the peat and carbonate sand mixture, whereas the negative effects on the quartz sand and loam mixtures remained irreversible (1.3 and 3 times lower than the control, respectively). The chlorophyll content of the plants on all soil mixtures was reduced compared to the control plants (37.1 ± 4.1 vs. 39.9 ± 1.2 SPAD units). The worst plat condition was observed for soil mixtures based on quartz sand. In this variant, the negative effect of salinization coincided with low nutrient content. In our results, the ash content was up to three times less compared to the initial state, as well as to the other materials. Plants grown in mixtures based on loam were more resistant to salinization due to higher nutrient content than peat. Overall, based on soil Na uptake, plant biomass, and recovery of soil microbiota, soil mixtures based on peat, loam, and carbonate sand will be the most resistant to NaCl-based de-icers and could be recommended for the creation of rain gardens in cities with permanent snow cover in winter.

Keywords: salinization; de-icing agents; NaCl; soil construction; rain garden; Hemerocallis hybrida (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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