We get it—the elemental analysis results can be confusing! Here are some common questions (and answers) to help you understand what the results mean and how they apply to your everyday life.
How do I convert the results to parts per million (ppm) or parts per billion (ppb)?
One of the trickiest parts of reading the elemental analysis results is understanding how they relate to safety guidelines, which are usually expressed in parts per million (ppm) or parts per billion (ppb).
The key thing to remember: ppm and ppb represent ratios, not actual amounts—they’re like percentages.
- 1 ppm = 1 part per 1,000,000 = 0.0001%
- 1 ppb = 1 part per 1,000,000,000 =0.0000001%
To find out how much of an element is physically present in a serving of a product:
- Convert the ppm or ppb to a decimal.
- Multiply that number by the weight (or serving size) of the product.
- Convert milligrams to micrograms, if needed (1 milligram (mg) = 1,000 micrograms (mcg))
Example:
If a 1.4 g serving of salt contains 160 ppb of lead:
- 160 ÷ 1,000,000,000 = 0.00000016
- 1.4 g = 1,400 mg = ¼ tsp
- 1,400 mg × 0.00000016 = 0.224 mcg of lead per serving
Bottom line: Even though 160 ppb might sound high at first, it actually equals less than a quarter of a microgram per 1.4-gram serving—a very small amount, well within safe limits for natural products like salt.
Are the elements listed pure elements?
When you see elements like hydrogen, sodium, or lead listed in an elemental analysis, it’s easy to assume they’re present in their pure forms. But that’s not how it works.
In reality, most elements in food are part of compounds—and that’s important because elements behave very differently depending on what they’re combined with.
Example 1: Water (H₂O)
- Pure hydrogen is a highly explosive gas.
- Pure oxygen is a highly reactive gas that can damage cells at high levels.
- But combine two hydrogen atoms with one oxygen atom, and you get water—a safe, drinkable, life-sustaining compound.
Example 2: Salt (NaCl)
- Pure sodium is a metal so reactive that it can explode on contact with water.
- Pure chlorine is a toxic green gas used in chemical warfare.
- But combine sodium and chlorine in an ionic bond, and you get sodium chloride—table salt, essential for human life and even used in hospital IVs.
Bottom line: Elements listed in an analysis are usually part of larger, stable compounds, not free, reactive elements. Context—and chemical understanding—matters a lot when interpreting elemental results.
Why do trace amounts of lead exist in natural foods?
All natural foods—fruits, vegetables, grains, and even salt—contain trace amounts of heavy metals like lead. That’s not because they’re contaminated, but because they grow right here on planet Earth.
The Earth’s elements—including tiny amounts of heavy metals—are part of the soil, water, and air. Plants absorb elements from soil, water, and air, and trace amounts naturally show up in the foods we eat.
Fortunately, the human body is well-equipped to handle small, naturally occurring levels of these substances—they've been part of the human diet for thousands of years.
Let’s look at the numbers:
- A sweet potato (8 oz. serving) = about 4.76 micrograms of lead (21 ppb)
- EPA action level for lead in a glass of drinking water (8 oz.) = about 3.4 micrograms of lead (15 ppb)
- A 1.4 g serving of Real Salt = about 0.224 micrograms of lead (160 ppb)
Bottom line: While trace amounts of lead might sound concerning at first, they are naturally occurring, extremely small, and well within safe limits. Eating a balanced, nutrient-rich diet and choosing high-quality natural products—like unrefined salt—supports your overall health.
Why are the recommended lead limits different for water, baby food, and salt?
You may notice that the recommended limits for lead vary depending on the product:
- Baby food: less than 5 ppb
- Drinking water: less than 15 ppb
- Salt: less than 2,000 ppb
At first, that might seem confusing. But it makes sense when you consider two things:
- How much of a product people consume daily
- Who is consuming it (adults vs. babies)
Recommended limits are based on the total daily amount of a substance someone might ingest, relative to their body weight. That’s why babies, who are smaller and more sensitive, have the strictest standards.
It’s also why water has a much lower lead limit than salt—you drink a lot more water each day than you eat salt.
Example:
- A 150-pound adult drinking 75 oz. of water a day (about 2.2 liters) at 15 ppb would consume about 33 micrograms of lead daily.
- That same person eating 3 grams of salt a day at 2,000 ppb would consume about 6 micrograms of lead.
Even though the ppb level is higher in salt, the actual amount consumed is much lower because we consume far less salt than water.
Bottom line: Recommended limits aren’t one-size-fits-all. They’re based on how much of something you consume—and who’s consuming it. That’s why salt, water, and baby food have different standards, all carefully designed to ensure total daily exposure stays well within health-protective limits.
Final Takeaway
Real Salt is a clean, natural salt harvested with care from an ancient seabed, and while elemental analysis results might seem complex, the actual levels of naturally occurring elements are small and well within the safe range for daily use. We hope all of the information we’ve shared here can help you make the best decision for you and your family.