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The Composition
of Sea Water

Six elements make up over 99 percent of the dissolved solids in sea water. Sodium ions and chloride ions, which join to make sodium chloride (NaCl)—familiar to us as table salt—account for over 85 percent of these six elements. Ion Percentage Major constituents (over 100 parts per million) Chloride 55.04 Sodium 30.61 Sulfate 7.68 Magnesium 3.69 Calcium 1.16 Potassium 1.10     Total 99.28 Minor constituents (1-100 parts per million) Bromine 65.0 Carbon 28.0 Strontium 8.0 Boron 4.6 Silicon 3.0 Flourine 1.0 Trace Elements (less than 1 part per million) Nitrogen Iodine Lithium Iron Rubidium Zinc Phosphorus Molybdenum