Comparative Study of the Major Ion Composition in Eurasian Salt Lakes: Lake Urmia, Lake Issyk-Kul, Aral Sea, and Dead Sea

Sammendrag

A comparative study of the major ion composition on the base of the same chemical methods was made for the hypersaline lakes: the Lake Urmia, the Aral Sea, the Dead Sea, and the brackish Lake Issyk-Kul. The samples from the investigated lakes with salinity changing from 5 to 328 g kg−1 were collected in 2013–2019. Concentrations of anions: chlorides, sulfates, carbonates, and cations: calcium and magnesium were determined with potentiometric titration and potassium with gravimetric method. The density was analyzed with a high-precision method using the density meter Anton Paar DMA 5000M and salinity was also expressed as a total sum of ions. Comparison of the salt compositions of the lakes revealed significant differences in the ratios of their components and their temporal variability due to a changing climate and anthropogenic impact.