- Seawater is overloaded with salt, which is not easily processed in large doses by the human body. Sodium chloride, or table salt, is actually useful to humans if ingested in moderation. In fact, salt deficiency may cause a risk of suffering seizures or falling into a coma. However, sea water contains an abundance of sodium chloride along with other types of salt, such as Epsom salts, iodine salts and potassium salts. Combined, these salts make sea water three times more salty than human blood. In an emergency, a certain quantity may be ingested without producing an ill effect, but it should be combined in a 1:2 ratio with fresh water if possible.
- Ironically, if a person tries to stay alive by drinking salt water, he will die of thirst. Since sea water contains high concentrations of salt, a person's body will become dehydrated as it tries to process this massive salt content. The water content of sea water will provide little benefit. The body will rid itself of more water through urine than was consumed to begin with, as it tries to expel the harmful salts. Furthermore, sea water contains bacteria and other impurities that may be difficult for the body to cope with.
- Through desalination, harmful salts and other impurities can be removed from sea water. Popular methods of desalination include reverse osmosis (which filters water by trapping salts contained within it) and thermal distillation (which heats sea water to a point that fresh water contained in it is turned into vapor). Both of these methods of desalination are costly, but they do indeed produce water that is drinkable.
