Facts about Salt

Underground or surface extraction? Get to know the different types of salt – evaporated salt, sea salt and rock salt – and the methods used to extract each of them.

How does salt originate, and where is it found? This section deals with basic questions about the geological and mineralogical aspects of salt, together with information about its chemical and physical properties.

In chemical terms, salt is sodium chloride. What are the characteristics of this compound, and how does it behave? We’ll take a scientific look at salt here.

Salt is vital to the survival of human beings. Our body also needs the trace elements of iodine and fluorine which are often added to it. Read about the effects of salt deficiency here.

Did you know that there are plants that grow on salt flats? All over the world, plants have developed their own strategy for survival under harsh conditions.

Whether mammal, fish, bird or reptile, animals also need salt. At the same time, they also have to be able to excrete it. Read here about how various animal species regulate their salt metabolism.

Salt is everywhere, but too much of it is bad for our vegetation. How is the salt content of the rivers measured in Switzerland, and how does road salt affect our trees?

You will find teaching materials, entertaining films and information about a visit to Swiss Saltworks with your school class here.