Can a human survive on drinking sea water? There are two major reasons. Why? If you were stuck at sea, eatin?

Question

Can a human survive on drinking sea water? There are two major reasons. Why? If you were stuck at sea, eating fish is not a good alternate. Why? What alternate can you resort to that might keep you alive for several weeks?

Answer 1

salt water is not good because it dehydrates you

it would only limit the time you could survive even more

Answer 2

No, humans cannot survive on seawater. The salt in it will actually dry you out and make you even thirstier than before. Ever hear that phrase, 'water water everywhere, and not a drop to drink'? That's where that comes from. Also, there are any numbers of things in the water like bacteria and parasites that could easily make you sick. I've heard that if you're stuck at sea, collecting rainwater and morning dew is the best way to keep alive. If you have a tarp with you, you can string it up and collect the moisture from it. I assume that fish are also not a good alternative because you would presumably have no way to cook it, which can also make you ill. I have heard, however, that eating seaweed can keep you alive. I'm not really sure about that though.

Answer 3

Gee, I did not know there was going to be a test! Okay, let's see. You cannot survive drinking sea water because the salt will cause madness and death. Eating fish or anything at all is dangerous if you do not have drinking water. The very act of digesting food draws more moisture from your body. Drinking urine for a short while. Rain water will keep you alive or if you have some sort of ability to distill sea water.

How'd I do?

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Answer 4

The level of salt in sea water, when absorbed into the body, causes water to rush out of the cells through the process of osmosis. This results in the cells being unable to perform the chemical reactions needed to survive, leading to death. Some of the "salts" in sea water are, in fact, toxic to us.

Actually, eating fish is a reasonable idea. They eyes are a fantastic source of fresh water.

Rain water would help you survive, of course. If it's not raining, then it's quite likely to be hot and sunny. All you need then is a sheet of clear perspex, or something like it, and a drinking vessel. Take some sea water and lay it in the bottom of your raft. Keep the perspex above your pool of water angled down towards the drinking vessel. The sun will cause the sea water to evaporate. The vapour will condense on the perspex and run down into the drinking vessel, providing you with perfectly clean, safe, fresh water. Factory -made versions of this are now standard in many life rafts.

Answer 5

As far as I understand it no. Fresh water contains 500 parts per million of salt, sea water on the other hand contains between 35-50,000 parts per million. This huge difference means that the more you drink, the more salt dries out your body, if you aren't getting any other liquid other than salt water, your organs will cease to function. Ouch.

Try to not get stuck on a raft or deserted island. If you for some reason plan on it someday, I reccomend reading the armed forces' "how to" books on nature survival.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

Sea water has too many salts of various kinds. It will cause you to dehydrate if it doesn't make you sick first. The best way to survive is by getting water from rainfall or by condensation, like from a solar still. See the link below.

Answer 8

No, you cannot survive on sea water because it is saltwater, and the salt with get us dehydrated faster because of the salt. But if you could take out the salt. I don't think it would be impossible to live on sea water.

Answer 9

if you're stranded at sea you're recommended NOT to drink the sea water because the water will make you throw up, therefor, making you even more dehydrated. as for eating the fish, why not? people catch fish from oceans and lakes and eat it all the time. i really cant see someone surviving for several weeks if they were lost at sea.

Answer 10

sea water contain salt and will make us dehydrate even faster. Rain water will help keep the body hydrate.

Hmm...about the fish eating I am not too sure, maybe you should not eat fish coz you might not know if the fish is poisonous??

Answer 11

You could actually distill the water by evaporation if you had something to catch the runoff in and drink that. It would keep you alive for a little bit. Also, you can eat most saltwater fish raw. It might not be pretty, but it would keep you alive.