Salt

Dramatic increases in salt (sodium chloride) concentrations are occurring in freshwaters globally due to human activities such as road salt application, water softening, mining and oil extraction, wastewater from commercial and industrial processes, weathering of concrete, sea level rise, and fertilizer application. Too much salt in the environment is toxic and lethal to aquatic life, pollutes drinking water sources, and damages infrastructure.​

​Increased salt concentrations lead to a phenomenon called freshwater salinization syndrome (FSS). This syndrome is due to direct and indirect effects of salts that cause other pollutants in soil, groundwater, surface water, and water pipes to become more concentrated and mobile. One example of these effects is that salts can increase the rate of metals mobilizing from soils and pipes and can cause radioactive materials such as radium in soils to become more concentrated in groundwater and surface water. Excess nutrients in the soil like nitrate-nitrogen can also be mobilized by high salinity, thereby exacerbating nutrient pollution, which contributes to harmful algal blooms and low dissolved oxygen levels in lakes and rivers. Taken together, excess salts can make water undrinkable, increase the cost of treating water, and harm freshwater fish and wildlife.

Notice: Winter is Coming! And with it, tons of salt on our roads... read more!