From Ocean to Table: Microplastic contamination in Nordic salts

• Main Author: Nyika, Anna
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: Lunds universitet/Centrum för miljö- och klimatvetenskap (CEC) 2023
• Subjects: Microplastic (MP); MP pollution; plastic pollution; sea salt; rock salt; Nordics; Iceland; Denmark; plastic waste management; human health; marine environment; Earth and Environmental Sciences; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9130908

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. Mellan 4.80 och 12.7 miljoner ton plastavfall hamnade i haven runt om i världen år 2010. Stora delar av den plast som hamnar i haven kommer från dålig hantering av plastavfall och den vanligaste typen av avfall i haven är mikroplaster. Mikroplaster kan därför finnas i livsmedel som exempelvis salt. Mikroplaster förekommer inte bara i plast, de är överallt, i luften, i marken och även i vårt blod. Snart kommer det finnas fler plast partiklar i haven är fisk, om vi fortsätter släppa ut plast i haven som vi gör nu. Hur kan man undersöka mängden plast i våra hav, vad kan vi göra? Hur ser vår framtid ut? De frågorna är viktiga att ...