Salt And The Environment
|
|
Soil
- Excess salt can saturate and destroy a soil's natural structure and result in more erosion and sediment transport to nearby rivers and lakes.
Vegetation
- High concentrations of salt can damage and kill vegetation. Healthy vegetation is a vital buffer between land and water, reducing nutrient exports to nearby rivers and lakes. A high amount of salt will block nutrients needed by plants and absorbs water, causing drought-like conditions. Sodium and chloride ions can be taken up by plants and can injure leaf margins and the tips of new shoots. Salty water splashed on plants can damage buds, twigs and new leaves.
Wildlife
- Salt poses the greatest danger to fresh water ecosystems and fish. Studies have shown that as salt concentrations increase in a stream, bio-diversity decreases.
Humans
- Excess salt can seep into groundwater and runoff into reservoirs affecting the taste of drinking water. Additionally, sodium chloride can exacerbate hypertension.
Corrosion
- Salt is corrosive and can damage exposed rebar, bridges, and automobiles. Additionally, by increasing the freeze/thaw cycle, salt can prematurely age cement and asphalt.
