Everts, S. (2015, October 29). Plastic Contaminates Table Salt in China. Retrieved November 23, 2015, from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/plastic-contaminates-table-salt-in-china/
Table salt in China has been impregnated with tiny plastic particles. After testing 15 different brands of salt found in Chinese grocery stores, researchers found small pieces of polyethylene terephthalate, the common plastic used in water bottles, as well as polyethylene, cellophane and other types of plastic. Salt from the ocean had over 250 particles of plastic per pound of sea salt, the highest level of plastic contamination. This is due to the high levels of plastic floating around in the water from which the salt is taken.
It had never occurred to me that the high level of pollution in the ocean would lead to plastic particles appearing in table salt. The presence of plastic in a product that meant to be eaten seems as though it would be a huge health hazard, one that will only worsen as the ocean becomes more polluted. As more plastic is dumped into the ocean, the higher level of plastic there will be in salt, something that the Chinese manufacturers, consumers, and government will have to address before people’s health begins to degrade due to their consumption of plastic.
I guess it is only a matter of time before this plastic issue eventually directly affects human health. Fascinating that it’s showing up in Chinese salt (I assume ours is perfectly plastic free). Seems like a tragedy of the commons situation- plastic is so cheap and convenient at first glance. What do you think needs to happen to address this huge issue?
This issue is another example that shows us how everything is linked and that when we make a mess in one place, it ultimately comes back to hurt us in the end. In this instance, it was plastic in table salt, but any contamination of the environment can lead to disaster for the human health system.