Microbeads have made their way into
contaminating sea salt. Breaking down various salts such as sea salt, and rock
and well salt, scientists from the American Chemistry Society have discovered
that every kilogram of sea salt contains roughly 550 to 681 microbeads. Using
sea salt at the recommended nutrition level means that the consumption of the
plastic particles comes out to be 1,000 per person every year. These dangerous particles
may even make their way into cells and damage tissues (microbeads absorb toxic
chemicals such as the pesticide DDT and toxic polychlorinated biphenyl).
Microbeads are extremely detrimental
to sea life. Because these tiny particles typically measure out to be about 2
millimeters, they are easily washed down the drain and will continue to flow
through into the ocean and contaminate various sea life such as turtles, sea
birds, and whales. Planktons, tiny organisms that live under water also consume
the plastic, and sea life consumes the plankton. Bits and pieces of plastic are
now being found across beaches around the world, as well as new types of rocks
forming from the mixture of plastics and sand.
Below is a video of plankton
consuming plastic. If something as tiny as a sea organism can consume this plastic,
it is imperative that we know of its impact on the food chain, making its way
up to destroying wildlife as well as us as human beings.
Sources:
- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3330671/The-hidden-PLASTIC-lurking-food-Hundreds-tiny-micro-beads-sea-salt-swallow-1-000-year.html
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