In an analysis from 2018 conducted by researchers from South Korea and Greenpeace East Asia, from 39 table salt brands tested, 36 contained microplastics.
Relying on previous salt studies, this study, published in the Environmental Science and Technology, was the first of its type to check, geographically, how microplastics spread in table salt.
The marine science professor at Incheon National University in South Korea, Seung-Kyu Kim explains that these findings show that the human intake of microplastics through marine products is strongly associated with emissions in a certain region.
Study Confirms: Microplastics Is Present in Popular Table Salt Brands
Samples of salt from 21 countries in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa were tested. Three brands didn’t have microplastics in them.
These were from Taiwan, China, and France. The microplastic density in the salt differed among brands. However, the amount was pretty high among Asian brands.
The highest amount of microplastics was found in salt sold in Indonesia. Asia is a major area for plastic pollution.
Indonesia, with its 34,000 miles of coastline was found to experience the second-worst degree of plastic pollution globally. In another indicator, microplastic levels were the highest in sea salt, then lake salt, and lastly in rock salt.
This study estimates that an average adult eats around 2000 microplastics per year through the intake of salt.
How Do Microplastics Affect Humans?
According to research from 2019, the feces of humans from Europe, Russia, and Japan contained microplastics.
This is proof that we really ingest microplastics.
The research also showed that some particles are removed from the body; however, the question which remains is whether some of it is left in our body.
To find out more, several animal studies were done and scientists discovered that the smallest microplastics are able to pass through the gut barrier and enter the blood.
From there, they can reach other body parts. In lab mice, microplastics were discovered in the kidneys, heart, intestines, and stomach.
On the basis of these studies, researchers hypothesize that the exposure of humans to microplastics may lead to DNA damage, inflammation, oxidative stress, and inflammation.
But, it’s not the plastic itself that’s the potential harm: it’s the fact that their surface is colonized by microorganisms, some of which have been identified as human pathogens.
Sources:
