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Human activities such as mining, agriculture, construction, and road treatment release large amounts of salt ions into the environment faster than natural processes can recycle them.
Salt is essential for life, but too much can be deadly. That's the alarming conclusion of a new study that shows how human activities are increasing the salinity of the planet's air, soil, and water, threatening biodiversity, human health, and the stability of ecosystems., reveals that humans disrupt the natural "salt cycle" that regulates the movement and concentration of salt ions on Earth.
The study estimates that human-caused salinization has affected about 2.5 billion acres of soil worldwide, an area equivalent to the size of the United States. It also shows that salt ions have increased in streams and rivers over the last 50 years, along with the global use and production of salts. Moreover, it reveals that salt has invaded the air as lakes dry up and send saline dust into the atmosphere or as road salts become aerosolized and form sodium and chloride particulate matter.
To prevent U.S. waterways from being inundated with salt in the coming years, Kaushal recommended policies that limit road salt or encourage alternatives. Washington, D.C., and several other U.S. cities have started treating frigid roads with beet juice, which has the same effect but contains significantly less salt.
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