Every single sample of sea salt sold on Lombok Island, Indonesia, contained microplastics. Researchers tested salt from local markets and found plastic particles in 100 percent of them. The finding suggests that the ocean surrounding the island is heavily polluted with plastic waste.
Salt from the sea, plastic on the plate
Lombok is known for its traditional sea salt production. Farmers harvest salt by evaporating seawater in shallow ponds. But the same water that gives the island its salt also carries invisible plastic debris. Scientists collected salt from multiple markets across the island and analyzed it in a lab. They found microplastic fragments in every sample, regardless of brand or price.
A local industry facing a global problem
Salt production is a key livelihood on Lombok. Many families depend on it for income. The contamination raises concerns not just for consumers but for the producers themselves. If the seawater is polluted, the salt will be too. Local people care because this is not just about food safety. It is about an industry that has operated for generations and now faces a threat that comes from the ocean itself.
The study did not name specific brands or producers. It focused on the broader pattern of contamination. Researchers said the particles likely come from plastic waste that breaks down in the sea and gets trapped during evaporation. The salt is then packaged and sold without any filtering step that could remove the tiny fragments.
This is not a problem unique to Lombok. But the study shows how deeply plastic pollution has penetrated even traditional food systems. For the people of Lombok, salt is a staple and a source of pride. Finding plastic in every sample is a quiet alarm about the state of the waters around them.
