Influence of water salinity on corrosion risk—the case of the southern Baltic Sea coast

Water corrosivity in Gdansk Bay, Poland, the southern part of the Baltic Sea, was investigated. The analysed region is heavily industrialized, and the coastline is very diverse. Twenty-seven test points along the coastline were selected. Water parameters such as salinity, total dissolved solids content, resistivity, conductivity, oxygenation, pH and corrosion rate were determined. The results of the investigation are presented. Water samples were collected, and structural steel specimens were exposed in the water for 2 months. The corrosion rate for each test point was determined and plotted on a map. The spatial distribution of water parameters was calculated using the ‘inverse distance to a power’ method and presented on the maps. Salinity did not exceed 0.7 %, and average corrosion rate equalled 0.0585 mm/year.