Your sea salt could be contaminated with plastic

A recent study found microplastics in all but one brand of sea salt

Your sea salt could be contaminated with plastic

A recent study found microplastics in *all* but one brand of sea salt

The presence of plastics in our oceans is a pretty well-documented fact, but have you ever realized that you were probably eating particles of plastic whenever you sprinkled sea salt on your food? According to a recent study published in Scientific Reports, researchers studied 16 brands of sea salt from eight different countries including Malaysia, Australia, South Africa, France, Iran, Japan, Portugal and New Zealand and found traces of microplastics in all but one brand. After dissolving the different salts in water, the researchers found 72 particles of contaminants —most of which were identified as plastics, or pigments that once belonged to plastics —in 15 of the brands. While the salt from France was not contaminated with plastic, the others contained between 1 to 10 particles per kilogram of salt. But don't toss your non-French sea salt in the garbage just yet. "Plastic in the ocean is an atrocity, a testament to humanity's filthy habits," Erik van Sebille, an oceanographer at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, told Hakai Magazine. "But we don't know exactly what harm it does to marine life or to us." "In my view, the concentrations of microplastics in seafood and in salt are sufficiently low that they do not present a concern for human health at present," Richard Thompson, a biologist at Plymouth University in England, told Hakai. However, the presence of microplastics in food could eventually reach concerning levels unless we reduce pollution, he added. (H/T Quartz)

The presence of plastics in our oceans is a pretty , but have you ever realized that you were probably eating particles of plastic whenever you sprinkled sea salt on your food?

According to a recent study published in , researchers studied 16 brands of sea salt from eight different countries including Malaysia, Australia, South Africa, France, Iran, Japan, Portugal and New Zealand and found traces of microplastics in all but one brand.

After dissolving the different salts in water, the researchers found 72 particles of contaminants —most of which were identified as plastics, or pigments that once belonged to plastics —in 15 of the brands. While the salt from France was not contaminated with plastic, the others contained between 1 to 10 particles per kilogram of salt.

But don't toss your non-French sea salt in the garbage just yet.

"Plastic in the ocean is an atrocity, a testament to humanity's filthy habits," Erik van Sebille, an oceanographer at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, . "But we don't know exactly what harm it does to marine life or to us."

"In my view, the concentrations of microplastics in seafood and in salt are sufficiently low that they do not present a concern for human health at present," Richard Thompson, a biologist at Plymouth University in England, told Hakai. However, the presence of microplastics in food could eventually reach concerning levels unless we reduce pollution, he added.

(H/T )

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