The main sources of saltwater on Earth are the seas and the oceans.Around 71% of our planet is covered with saltwater. The salinity, however, is not the same in all oceans and differs to some extent.The Pacific Ocean, for example, is less saline than the Atlantic Ocean. The difference in this salinity also defines the living beings that are found in each area because not all sea creatures can survive in too much saline water. In this article, we are going to be revealing many mind-blowing facts about saltwater that we bet you didn’t know about.The Importance Of SaltwaterGiven below is a list of reasons why salty water is important for us.Some studies claim that saltwater holds over 50% of all living species present on the Earth’s surface.Most biodiversity is found in ocean water on Earth.Around 96.5% of the total saltwater on Earth is found in the 5 major oceans.This can be broken down into each ocean individually as the Pacific Ocean contains the most saltwater, at 46.9%.The Indian Ocean contains about 19% of the total saltwater on Earth.On the other hand, the Atlantic ocean holds 23% of the saltwater stock on Earth.The Arctic Ocean and the Southern Ocean hold 1.39% and 5.3% of saltwater, respectively.Any water source that has 3% to 5% salt content in it is put in the saltwater category.Any water source that has 0.05% to 3% salt content in it is called brackish water.If you have been bitten by a mosquito and the bite is itching, try putting a few drops of saltwater on it as this works as a great reliever on mosquito bites.It can sometimes be hard to wash vegetables and green leaves but try putting them in boiled water with some salt in it. This will also help remove most of the harmful chemicals present on their surface.Spraying saltwater in your shoes can greatly help get rid of the odor.Many dentists suggest gargling twice a day with saltwater because it is a really good natural mouthwash.Nutrients Available In SaltwaterHumans should not consume saltwater directly, but there are still some nutrient values in it. We will be discussing them below:Sodium chloride (table salt) is obtained from simply evaporating saltwater from oceans or seas.Some living beings, such as the green spotted puffer, need brackish water in order to survive.Although the change in water source also changes the constituents, chemical composition, and properties of saltwater, generally the pH of saltwater ranges from 7.5 to 8.4 in oceans and seawater.Saltwater is not fit for humans because it takes more fluids for our body to remove dissolved salts than the liquid that we previously consumed.Through the desalination process, we can turn salt water into fresh water which is completely fine to drink.Any water source that has less than 0.005% salt content is called freshwater.Water sources holding less than 5% salt content are also called brine water.The ions that are present in the highest amounts in marine waters are sodium, sulfate, magnesium, chloride, potassium, and calcium.Ocean water mostly contains sodium and chloride ions in the highest quantities.Not only do oceans have salt dissolved in them but there are some lakes that have even more salinity than oceans.Some of these lakes are Lake Vanda and Gaet’ale Pond. These bodies have 10 times more salinity than average seawater.Surface saltwater, as well as underground saltwater, are mined so that the minerals present in them can be extracted.The different depths of seawater support different types of living ecosystems.As we know, seawater is the most common source of saltwater.Harmful Effects Of SaltwaterEven though saltwater is very helpful and supports an ecosystem of its own, it still has some harmful effects which are stated below:Drinking too much saltwater may result in severely depleted health.Intaking too much sodium through saltwater can even prove to be deadly for humans.Most plants, when coming into contact with salt water, get injured and this stops their growth.Uses Of SaltwaterIt can be tough to remove grease and grime from pots and crockery with fresh water due to its insolubility, but if you add some saltwater into your sink of water, then the results will be entirely different.Tea and coffee cups are prone to staining after repeated use, but washing them with salt water helps a lot in maintaining their original color and removing stubborn stains.Life in saltwater areas also helps in protecting land in instances of a natural disaster such as a hurricane. Salt marshes, for example, act as a shield while coral reefs help in slowing down the waves to some extent.Saltwater, such as pink Himalayan saltwater, has some nutrients and helps in treating some health issues as well.Throwing boiling water on a weed helps reduce the effort needed to handpick them from your backyard vegetable garden.If you have a sore throat, then gargling with salt water can not only help reduce pain but also kill the bacteria that is causing the problem.Washing stained kitchen utensils with salt water, or just soaking them in saltwater before washing them greatly helps in getting rid of stains that are hard to remove and is a better choice than fresh water.If you ever get stung by a bee, putting some saltwater on the spot where you got stung can help provide relief from pain as well as reduce redness.Most of the oxygen on our planet is generated in the saltwater present in the ocean.Some scientists estimate that saltwater bodies produce 50-80% of the total oxygen on the Earth’s surface.
The main sources of saltwater on Earth are the seas and the oceans.
