Aircraft Deicing: Good or Bad?

In the past few months the deicing of aircraft has created much controversy, mainly in Alaska. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is attempting to do anything in their power to come up with a solution to help keep the environment safe around major airports. Although the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) strongly permits the EPA to arrange any possible solutions, they understand what their current deicing chemical is doing to the airports and surrounding environment. Should the FAA allow the EPA to come up with a solution that not only betters the environment, but also adheres to the regulations under the FAA?

I, with emphasis, strongly agree with the EPA. If they know that they can find something that eliminates the hazardous chemicals of deicing fluid and stay within the safety standards, then why not give it a shot. New deicing methods have been tested and one in particular stands out from the rest. As stated in “Infrared Aircraft Deicing” (2007) infrared deicing is considered one of the most efficient methods that may be approved by the FAA in the near future. I strongly disagree with the idea of waiting to replace previous deicing methods with new ones, like the infrared technology, which is ready to be put to use.

I found throughout the majority of my research, many occurrences where wildlife has been effected the greatest due to the glycol spills that eventually drain into surrounding wildlife habitat. In a recent article, “Airplane de-icer gets closer look.”(2007), The EPA hammers the FAA with facts that prove how harmful the chemical really is. I agree with the FAA having concerns about safety, but if a method has been proven to please the EPA and stick to the strict safety standards of the FAA regulations, then what are we waiting for. The FAA needs to look at other opportunities otherwise the EPA and other protection agencies like Fish and Game will be at their throats for feeding harmful chemicals to an innocent wildlife environment.

On the other hand, there is one fairly dated idea stated in “Hybrid deicing system and method of operation.” (2002) where the EPA and FAA somewhat agree with one another. Hybrid deicing, the combination of hot air and glycol, just may be the deciding factor for deicing in the near future. Although it sounds like a method that is a little less toxic, the EPA is still not completely satisfied because of the fact that glycol is still present. The EPA is already frustrated with the damage done to the airports surrounding environments and I was extremely surprised, after extensive research, reading in this article that they might be willing to work with the FAA using the present deicing fluid, glycol.

After all this research and the understanding the current safety standards, it just irritates me that the FAA will not act on what is being offered. I think there methods that have proven themselves and can replace old deicing procedures. I give the FAA a couple more years of stalling until they will be forced to act on the given situation and this time not only glace at it but do something with it. There is a major problem at hand and if something isn’t done about it, a larger controversy will emerge.

Example of an Airliner being de-iced

Aircraft de-icing creates much havoc

The spilling of Proplene Gylcol (the chemical used in deicing) has created controversy mainly in Alaska, but also throughout the rest of the United States, with the EPA. During the deicing procedure, before every flight, hundreds of gallons of Propylene Glycol are spilled onto the ground. The chemical that is used in the deicing process can be harmful to the surrounding environment. The EPA is trying to find a solution to this problem but the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) requires deicing during the winter months.

The reason being is that due to the extreme weather and higher altitude temperature changes, ice build up along the leading edges of the wings become more common. This is extremely dangerous and prevents smooth airflow of the airfoil on the wing, resulting in uncomfortable, unstable, flight. In previous occurrences, many aircraft have either crashed or have had to reroute due to the severe icing. Now that Propylene Gylcol is present in the aviation industry, the safety has improved dramatically. Because safety is above all other aspects, the EPA is going to struggle to find a solution to replace the current product with a new one.

The Effects of Deicing in Alaska

Stanko, J & Pearson, L. Hybrid deicing system and method of operation. (2002, March 26). Retrieved on November 17th 2007 from http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6360992-description.html

I could not be more amazed how detailed and informative this article is. It describes the entire de-icing process from what the actual procedure is, the chemicals and techniques used, the equipment that does the de-icing, any questions one may have can be answered in this article. Hybrid de-icing is the main topic throughout the article and is very interesting. Basically, when they refer to hybrid they mean a combination of glycol and forced air. One may think, how does the forced air eliminate and weathering on the aircraft. The forced air is heated and blasted along with the glycol onto the aircraft resulting in the eradication of any icing. This is just a little about what the article has to offer and I recommend it in any research on the topic.

Bluemink, Elizabeth. Airplane de-icer gets closer look. (2007, October 21). Retrieved November 12, 2007 from http://www.adn.com/money/industries/aviation/story/9396702p-9310029c.html

In this article the EPA attempts to hit the FAA hard with the negative facts of deicing. Right away it is made clear that 450,000 gallons of both ethylene and propylene glycol were spilled at Anchorage International last year. Of that 450,000 gallons, over 50% is cleaned up however the remaining usually drains into the inlet or Lake Hood. The chemicals in these products are harmful to organisms in the airports environment. The state plans to adopt a rule that would better organize the deicing process by 2009. I think it is a good idea that the EPA steps in and looks into finding a solution regarding the excessive spilling of the chemicals resulting in safer flight.


Sheshunoff, Alex. Anchorage airport should explore new deicing methods. (2007, November 1). Retrieved November 12, 2007 from http://www.adn.com/opinion/comment/story/9421548p-9334023c.html

Alex Sheshunoff is a columnist that has decided to share what he has to say about the whole de-icing ordeal here in Alaska, focusing in on Anchorage particularly. His main focus was looking into infrared de-icing methods. He mentioned that some of the major airports like JFK and Newark have already used the new infrared de-icer and it is said to take less time and is more effective than the modern day method of using the other contaminating chemicals. There is a catch to this great idea. The hangar that would be used to hold the infrared de-icer would have to be somewhat big and it cannot interfere with the airports control towers line of sight. That could be the main problem at Anchorage International. This is a great idea and with the airport growing larger each year it is something to definitely consider. Like Sheshunoff said, it is not only more efficient it is also inexpensive. I think that this is something that should be looked into and would make the EPA happy as well.

The Dow Chemical Company. Aircraft Deicing Fluid. (1995-2007). Retrieved November 12, 2007 from http://www.dow.com/propyleneglycol/app/deicing.htm

Although this link is very brief it can give one a better understanding of what the actual characteristics of propylene glycol are and what the possible end results are. Basically this website is for this deicing chemical when the majority of other sites oppose it. Low freezing point, low toxicity, and biodegradability are just a few examples of what propylene glycol does in the deicing process. After viewing this website, one may think that it is a waste. I thought so too at first until I saw what the chemical actually does. The examples I provided above would seem to be a positive effect but that is not the case. In the previous annotations it was stated how bad this can be for the environment and this link attempts to convince others that it may not be as bad as it sounds.


Patterson, Jim. Infrared Aircraft De-icing. (2007, October 16). Retrieved on November 13, 2007 from http://www.airporttech.tc.faa.gov/safety/infrared.asp

Safety first is what this article is implying. The FAA prohibits any aircraft to takeoff unless it can be considered “clean.” Clean by definition in aircraft terminology means no weather hazards are present on the aircraft, including ice, snow and frost on any of the lift creating elements of the aircraft. The new method of deicing is soon to be the primary method in all deicing procedures, and that is with Infrared technology. It has been tested on a Boeing 727 and went through what is usually a 15-20 minute procedure in 6-9 minutes. At 2000 degrees Fahrenheit one would think that the excessive temperature would damage the fuselage of the aircraft. Deterioration has not yet been a problem and Infrared technology is slowly making the switch over from the deicing fluids. The one thing that may be an issue is space and time. This procedure would have to take place inside a drive-thru hangar with the possibility of there being limited stations where it can occur, time may become a factor. Who know it may work out just as planned.