| A literature review was prepared as preliminary to a grant proposal to study the effects of soil and gas production brine in the forested ecosystem of the Allegheny basin. Physico-chemical properties of salts were reviewed in terms of their potential effects on soil, water, plants, and other organisms in the Allegheny ecosystem. Emphasis was placed on ion concentration and toxicity of particular salt components as that was to be the major emphasis in the grant proposal. Other physico-chemical properties of salts, including specific density, viscosity, osmotic pressure, reduction of dissolved carbon dioxide and gaseous oxygen, and conductivity, were discussed in the review as possible factors for further research. |
