Salinity
Salinity
A salt is a compound of a metal with a nonmetal other than hydrogen or oxygen. NaCl (sodium chloride), or table salt, is the best-known example. The solubility of various salts in water at a standard temperature is highly variable. When salts are dissolved in water, the result is called a saline solution, and the salinity of the solution is measured by its ability to carry an electrical current. Salinity of water is one of the components of water quality . Salinity is also measured in soil . Soil can become salinized from water containing sufficient salts, from the natural degradation of soil minerals, or from materials added to the soil such as fertilizer . Large amounts of water may be required to leach the accumulated salts from the root zone and prevent reduced plant growth or plant desiccation.
See also Soil profile; Water quality standards