The Challenge of Microplastics
The pollution by microplastics in the oceans is one of the most important environmental concerns. In large open-sea industrial salins, direct uptake by heavy machinery and impossibility of decanting makes polymers such as PE, PP or PET trapped within the common salt crystals of supermarket.
Faced with this challenge, Dama Blanca takes advantage of the traditional hydrographic and hydraulic design of the saline of the Bay of Cadiz to implement a passive system of unique biological and sedimentary filtering.
Atlantic water is not pumped violently; it is channelled by gravity by taking advantage of tides. Along a labyrinth of live clay turns, water circulates at ultra-reduced speed (< 0.05 m / s), allowing any particle in a physically decant suspension to the deep mud before reaching the final crystallisation ponds.
Results of the Chemical Analysis
We regularly submit our lots to independent tests of Raman and micro- FTIR spectroscopy in external laboratories approved, capable of detecting particles up to 1 micra in size:
| Analytical Purity Criterion | Dama Blanca (Artisanal harvest) | Industrial Refined Salt (Supermarket) |
|---|---|---|
| Microplastics detection (microFTIR) | ✓ 0% – certified absence | - Presence (PE, PP, Nylon) |
| Heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury) | Indetectable level | ✗ Tolerated traces |
| Decantation of Particles in Origin | ✓ Physical settling in clay channels | ✗ Large-scale open-sea intake |
| Physical and chemical refining | - None (Sun and Levant) | - Washing with Reagents |
Environmental protection mechanisms
Traditional salt-making knowledge combined with modern scientific verification:
Slow decantation
Water flows below 0.05 m/s in the tidal ponds so particles settle by gravity.
Halophytic filter
Natural biological filter made up of halophyll vegetation and microalgae of the Natural Park.
Micro- FTIR test
Batch-by-batch spectrometric analysis certifying 0% synthetic polymers in the final salt.
Frequently asked questions about purity
How do microplastics get to conventional sea salt?
By the accelerated mass evaporation of open sea water without passive decanting filters. All suspended particles end up trapped inside the supermarket crystals.
How does Dama Blanca certify that her salt is free of microplastics?
By sedimentation in live clay channels and regular independent laboratory audits by Raman spectroscopy and microFTIR.
How does it differ from mined rock salt?
Gem salt has no plastics for its millennial origin, but it lacks mineral wealth, Atlantic moisture and organic iodine. Dama Blanca links the purity of 0% microplastics with the complete spectrum of marine trace elements.
Dama Blanca in the media
Features and reports on our artisanal sea salt in culinary publications and the media:
Our harvest in the official shop
Discover our organic unrefined sea salt and fleur de sel, artisanally harvested in the Bahía de Cádiz Natural Park:
Organic fleur de sel
Hand-harvested from the surface of the tidal pond. Crisp texture and exceptional mineral richness.
Fine unrefined sea salt
Artisanal grinding of natural grains without additives or artificial drying. Ideal for everyday cooking.