Why is there no salt in the air?

Answer 1

Well usually when there is "salt" in the air, it is caused by salt water vapor in the air, but as for salt itself, it would be unlikely for there to be a significant amount in the air

Salt consists of Sodium and Chlorine (NaCl) Both of which are relatively deadly on their own

Sodium (Na) is very reactive with oxygen and when in powdered state can cause a seemingly explosive effect when put in water

Chlorine (Cl) was used in WWII in gas state as a weapon because it is heavier than normal air. This was deadly because when inhaled, it would stay in your lungs and take up the place of oxygen which your body needs to function

A:

Certainly around coastal towns, there is airborne salt, essentially windblown droplets of salt water. You may smell or taste it in the air, and steel and iron structures including vehicles tend to rust quickly. However, the salt suspended in the air tends to drop out quickly, so that the amount carried inland is negligible. Likewise, I've tasted it in the air in the Midwest when communities heavily salted dry roads.

Salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) has both a high melting point, 1474 °F, as well as a high boiling point 2575 °F. It readily dissolves in water because it forms ions (Na+ and Cl-). However, for the most part they must remain balanced with equal parts of positive and negative ions. So, it can't remain in a liquid form at low temperatures without the presence of water, and it can't exist as individual ions in the air. Solid salt has a density of 2.2 g/cc and would quickly fall to the round. Water droplets would also fall to the ground.

So, when sea water evaporates (not just getting blown up in the wind), very little salt evaporates into vapor, and it is generally left behind. Thus, over time (billions of years), the sea water gets concentrated with salt.

Dust, which may include small amounts of salt, may aid in the condensation of water causing rain.

I recently saw a proposal specifically trying to atomize saltwater above the oceans to make saltwater clouds with the hopes of increasing atmospheric reflectivity and decreasing surface temperatures on the ocean (and the planet). It is unclear if such a proposal would cause more salt to be carried inland.