Salt
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- Halite (NaCl), commonly known as salt. A critical nutrient and a favorite flavor in human foodstuffs.
- Nearly four percent of the alien seawater is dissolved salt - far higher than the concentration in human blood. Living things (even on this world) cannot survive this level of salt in their bodies.
- As a result, organisms must spend energy pumping salt out of their bodies. Some Earth fish use a third of their metabolic energy to pump salt.
- A shortage of salt is equally dangerous. Hyponatremia causes hallucinations, seizure, coma and death (easily confused with other syndromes caused by exposure to this alien environment).
- Assessment: search for salt on sandy sea bottoms and around dead coral domes.
- Note: pools of salt-heavy brine may occur at the sea floor. Contact with this brine may cause seizures and death. Certain bacteria (halophiles) can thrive in these environments.
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