Your sea salt probably contaminated with microplastics, reveals a new study

Researchers from South Korea and Greenpeace East Asia analyzed 39 salt brands from 21 countries, including the United States, China and Europe. 36 marks were contaminated with plastic fragments.

According to the National Ocean Service, microplastics are about the size of a sesame seed or smaller and are less than five millimeters long. The pollutant comes from a variety of sources, including large plastic debris in the ocean that breaks down into smaller particles when exposed to the sun and violent ocean currents.

Sea salt is produced by the evaporation of seawater, often with little processing, leaving traces of minerals and other elements, including plastic.

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The results, published in Environmental Science & Technology, are based on other studies of microplastics, which revealed that the contaminant was abundant in beach sediments, rivers, lakes and Arctic ice.

"Recent studies have revealed that plastics in seafood, wildlife, tap water and now in salt. It is clear that there is no way out of this plastic crisis, especially as it continues to flow into our rivers and oceans, "said Mikyoung Kim, an activist with Greenpeace East Asia in a statement.

"We need to stop plastic pollution at the source," said Kim. "For the health of people and our environment, it is extremely important that businesses immediately reduce their reliance on disposable plastics."