- The concentration of dissolved salts in water or soil water. Salinity may be expressed in terms of a concentration or as an electrical conductivity. When describing salinity influenced by seawater, salinity often refers to the concentration of chlorides in the water.
- The relative concentration of salts, usually sodium chloride, in a given water sample. It is usually expressed in terms of the number of parts per thousand (‰) or parts per million (ppm) of chloride (Cl). Although the measurement takes into account all of the dissolved salts, sodium chloride (NaCl) normally constitutes the primary salt being measured. Salinity can harm many plants, causing leaves to scorch and turn yellow and stunting plant growth. As a reference, the salinity of seawater is approximately 35‰ or 35,000 ppm.
Go to Process Safety Glossary