UKC

Does rocksalt contain anything other than rocks and salt?

I've eaten rather a lot of it over the past few days....

In reply to Rollo:

are you pregnant?

In reply to Rollo: Mollasses... apparently. Go inside a hopper and it smells all sweet.

In reply to tlm: mmmmmm.... just trying to work out the connection here.

But in reply, no.

They've been laying it on thick on the road for the last week, lots of it has ended up in my mouth!

In reply to Rollo:
in some places they spread potassium chloride as well as sodium chloride. I have heard of ethylene glycol being used too, but I wasn't sure about that as it's quite poisonous.

In reply to Rollo:

Strange cravings + being with child = eating rocksalt. ()

In reply to Rollo:

If you're eating it after it's been spread on the road it will contain everything from spilt diesel to essence of dead cat/rat/crow

In reply to Bellie:

Yep. some areas have problems with sheep on the road 'cos they're eating the salt

In reply to Rollo: It contains "ask" backwards...

In reply to Rollo: close your mouth?

In reply to Rollo: Rock Salt is just salt,it may have some impurities in it, iron is a common one, which change the colour. But in theory it could have all sorts in it as it comes out of the ground.

Off the road it could well hav edead cat etc in it, I advise not eating it, to quote my daughter, " Keep your big flapping in the wind gob shut"

In reply to krikoman:
I advise not eating it, to quote my daughter, " Keep your big flapping in the wind gob shut"

I'll try! This is the irony of getting healthy by riding your bike in a busy area.

In reply to Rollo:


WTF - do you cycle with your tongue dragging on the ground?

In reply to Rollo: sorry for this most unsatisfactory reply but ... I saw something in the last couple of days that advised dog owners to wash their dogs paws, or at least get them to run though some puddles near home, when the gritters had been about because of something added to the grit which the dogs like but which is toxic to them.

Unfortunately I can't find the reference to check on its provenance.

Anybody else heard about this?

In reply to risby:

Yes, saw someone had posted about this on facebook...according to them it's antifreeze?

In reply to toad:
'cos they're eating the salt

Happens all the time round here... on Winnats pass and the Chatsworth road the cheeky buggers dont even move. I've been known to nudge them out of the way with the car!

The worse was a road I took a few times to come into ffestiniogg where the sheep slept on a very fast country road, probably as it retained heat. I was Colin McCrae-ing it over at 2am, come over the top of a small knoll and was faced with 5 sheep sleeping in front of me... I was inches away from mutton for tea!

In reply to EeeByGum:

Don't be ridiculous man, I use my tongue to clean the bike afterwards

In reply to hnmisty:

apparently, cats love the taste of anti freeze, they cant get enough of it, which is unfortunate as its highly toxic to them & causes them long agonising deaths!!

In reply to Rollo: It does usually have an anti-caking agent added to it, not anti-freeze!!

"UK salt producers use sodium hexacyanoferrate (II) at a level below 100mg/kg in rock salt for de-icing. The additive has a low toxicity and is an authorised additive under both Food and Animal Feed regulations"

If it wasn't added the salt sticks together in one mahoosive lump