From Ocean to Table: Microplastic contamination in Nordic salts

Sammanfattning: Large amounts of plastic in the oceans originate from mismanaged plastic waste, and microplastics (MPs) are the most common type of waste. They can be found in household products, such as sea salts. Therefore, monitoring pollution levels is essential to improve marine health and food safety. This study examined the MP levels in salts produced from the North Atlantic and North Seas and analyzed the concentration of particles and their color, shape, and size distribution. The concentrations of microplastics were quantified by dissolving the salts in water and then filtered, followed by particle counting under a light microscope. Two sea salts from Iceland and one rock salt from Denmark were analyzed. Three blank samples were also examined during the laboratory work to determine the background contamination of microplastics. The most important result shows that all three salts and blank samples contained microplastics. The sea salts had higher amounts of MP and micropollutants than rock salt, but with the limited number of samples, it is hard to make general conclusions about the difference in pollution levels between sea salt and rock salt. These results from the North Atlantic and the North Sea only emphasize the necessity of further research to investigate how widespread microplastic pollutions are and the need to develop effective strategies to improve plastic waste management practices.