Sea Salt Comes With a Side of Microplastics
What's in the ocean ends up in the shaker.
Sea salt sounds like the natural, wholesome choice. It mostly is — but it carries a modern souvenir.
The ocean's problem is the salt's problem
Because sea salt is made by evaporating seawater, whatever's in the water gets concentrated too — including microplastics. Studies have found tiny plastic particles in sea salts from around the world. It's a small amount, but a clear sign of how far ocean plastic has spread.
Not a reason to panic
The quantities are low, and the bigger microplastic sources in most diets are elsewhere. This is more a striking illustration than an emergency.
The move
If you want to lower the odds, mineral or rock salt — mined from ancient underground deposits — skips the modern-ocean exposure. Otherwise, sea salt is still fine in normal amounts.
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