Tolerance of high salinities by conventional wastewater treatment processes.

Biological activity is commonplace in the oceans, yet saline waters are con sidered detrimental to biological treat ment units. Specific concentrations of solutes in a medium are likely to in fluence metabolic response, but a small change in concentration in a short interval of time may have a greater effect than anticipated from considera tion of absolute values. Thus, salinity changes may become a major problem in shore-based wastewater treatment after industrial discharges, ice control, or other brine intrusion. Possible re quirements for shipboard treatment of wastewaters to limit ship lane pollu tion during operation in fresh and saline waters has increased the inter