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Is saltwater alkaline or acidic?

Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 3:12 pm
by Admin
Yes saltwater is alkaline. If we think of seawater, which has salinity of 3.5% (means 1 Kg seawater has 35 grams of dissolved salts), has pH more than 7.0. The main reason of alkaline pH of seawater is the presense of bicarbonates among the dissolved salts.

So if the saltwater would have sufficient contents of bicarbonates to buffer the acidity, then saltwater would be more alkaline.

However, if the question comes about the salt water acidity, just think of the seas or oceans which is saline, and many animals like dolphins, whales, sharks are living there. That means seawater is alkaline. If it would be acidic, all living animals would die, or if because of climate changes now seawater becomes more acidic, it will endanger the existence of the living animals and plants in the oceans.

Here is a report from the Royal Society on 'Ocean Acidification due to increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide'