A new anti-ice agent adopted by the Beijing municipal government is set to put an end to the use of salt on Beijing's ice and snow-covered roads.

The first domestic standard for anti-ice agents has been issued by the local government.

Under the standard, 14 kinds of anti-ice agents will replace salt, which was traditionally employed against ice and snows despite the corrosive damage it caused to plants, crops and buildings.

The new environmentally friendly agents have been put to use on a trial basis in parts of Beijing since 2000.

The trials show that the agents can melt snows quicker than salt and it can dissolve faster in water.

Although they are more expensive than salt, the agents are safe for plants and their corrosive effect on buildings is relatively slight compared with salt.

Beijing formerly needed about 600 tons of diluted salt to clear the city's main streets and highways after a heavy snowfall.

(eastday.com October 31, 2002)