We're salting more than just our roads. Why winter maintenance is hurting Canada's ecosystems

Road salt is making Canada's freshwater ecosystems so salty its dangerous to the species that live there.

A number of Canadian cities have exceeded acceptable chloride levels in watersheds in recent years, raising concerns about the impact on freshwater wildlife and other species.

The problem largely stems from road salt and saline solutions, which have a chemical compound of chloride to keep roadways safe during winter weather.

Chloride has both long- and short-term impacts on wildlife, and some experts believe it is adversely affecting fish, frogs and aquatic ecosystems across Canada.

"In the spring, where we might have amphibians, frogs, salamanders, coming into small, shallow pools of water along ponds, along roadways or in the forest, they may end up in salty water. That really limits their ability to survive," Donald Jackson, professor in the department of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Toronto, told CTVNews.ca in an interview.

Humans sometimes use the same water we are polluting as well, but the Canadian government has implemented drinking water objectives to remove unnecessary toxins and salt for consumption.

Even with these objectives, drinking water may be a problematic source of salt – but only for those with certain conditions.

"Although the average intake of sodium from drinking water is only a small fraction of that consumed in a normal diet, the intake from this source could be significant for persons suffering from hypertension or congestive heart failure who may require a sodium-restricted diet," the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality report reads.