The Effect Of Salinity On Water Salinity - 1302 Words

Salinity, is a measure of the amount of salt dissolved in the water. Usually measured in parts per thousand. It largely depends on the body of water considered. For example, it is typically between 34 and 37 parts per thousand for sea water (1). A dangerous salinity depends on the specific water considered. Brine waters are associated with a 50 ppt salinity. Thus, this salinity is considered dangerous for sea water. Salt in the sea comes from rocks on land. Ground water salinity is quite important as it’s the main source of the water we drink. Its salinity has been raising because the rain that falls on the land contains some dissolved carbon dioxide from the surrounding air (2). Rain water penetrates the rock layers and eventually†¦show more content†¦pH levels exceeding 8.3 are stressful to most marine animals. pH also has an impact on a process called calcification. Calcification increases with pH rise (4). The monitoring of the acidity and basicity of the liquids disposed in the ocean by factories and research facilities on the long term might allow the control of the pH levels. Turbidity represents the clarity of water. It is affected by the amount of phytoplankton, clay, slit, minerals or even algae, suspended in the water. The more opaque the water is, the higher its turbidity. It is measured in nephelometric units NTUs using a turbidimeter or nephelometer (6). Acceptable ranges for streams are 25 NTU and for lakes and reservoirs 50 NTU. High turbidity levels can cause health issues such as increasing the possibility for waterborne diseases. They can also cause environmental problems especially that higher turbidity means less light penetrating. Thus, leading to less photosynthesis for aquatic plants (7). This can be reduced by decreasing urban runoff and implementing better treatment techniques for sewage treatment and discharge plants. Just like the name indicates, dissolved oxygen DO, is the amount of dissolved oxygen in water. It is measured in mg O2/L. The main source for the dissolved oxygen is the aquatic plants that carry out photosynthesis. Therefore, its levels vary a lot within one day due to light availability (8). Normal