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Even low amounts of salinity in freshwater bodies are harmful: university research

Toledo, Ohio – Less than a teaspoon of chloride is all that is needed to pollute five gallons of water where it becomes harmful to several types of aquatic organisms, data shows from a joint study between the University of Toledo and Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont. Research conducted at 16 locations in four countries shows an increase in salinity levels in freshwater ecosystems that is caused mainly by road salt use, agricultural fertilizers, mining operations and climate change. At the lowest thresholds established in Canada and the United States, freshwater salinity results in a decrease of zooplankton and an increase in algae. Technology Networks report | READ MORE