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Research data for Microplastic quantification and chemical characterization in salt samples, using stereomicroscopy, smartphone camera and supervised machine learning tools.
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Scientists developed a new, low-cost method to detect and count tiny plastic bits (microplastics) hiding in salt using a smartphone camera, a basic microscope, and smart computer software instead of expensive lab equipment. This matters because salt is something almost everyone eats daily, and having a cheaper, more accessible way to check it for plastic contamination could help researchers and food safety agencies track this potential health concern more widely. Note that this particular resource is the underlying dataset and code shared for other scientists to verify and reuse the method, rather than a report of new findings about how much microplastic is actually in salt.
Research data for the article "Microplastic quantification and chemical characterization in salt samples, using stereomicroscopy, smartphone camera and supervised machine learning tools.". This repository contains the datasets and processing files used in the microplastic detection workflow developed in this study. The files included allow reproducibility of the image analysis pipeline. The repository contains: (i) raw microscopy images (.png) corresponding to the validation dataset used to evaluate the trained models; (ii) trained Ilastik project files (.ilp) for the two classifiers developed in this work (filament and fragment detection), which can be opened directly in the Ilastik software* to reproduce the image probability segmentation step and; (iii) FIJI macros (.ijm) used for image preprocessing and automated particle analysis viaFiji.
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Microplastic quantification and chemical characterization in salt samples, using stereomicroscopy, smartphone camera and supervised machine learning tools
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Scientists developed a cheap, easy way to spot microplastics in everyday foods using a smartphone camera and computer smarts, rather than expensive lab equipment. Testing sea salt from Mexico, they found nearly 2,000 tiny plastic pieces per kilogram, made of common plastics like polypropylene and PVC, a reminder that the salt we sprinkle on our food may come with an unwanted side of plastic. This tool could make it easier and cheaper for labs everywhere to routinely check our food supply for microplastic contamination.
Research data for Microplastic quantification in food samples, using stereomicroscopy and smartphone camera, leveraging interactive supervised machine learning tools - JPCE
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Researchers released a dataset and image analysis pipeline — using stereomicroscopy, smartphone imaging, and supervised machine learning — for detecting and quantifying microplastics in food samples, enabling reproducible filament and fragment classification without specialized laboratory equipment.
Research data for Microplastic quantification in food samples, using stereomicroscopy and smartphone camera, leveraging interactive supervised machine learning tools - JPCE
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Researchers developed and published an image analysis pipeline using stereomicroscopy and smartphone cameras combined with interactive machine learning tools to quantify microplastics in food samples, releasing raw images, trained classifier files, and processing macros to enable reproducibility of the workflow.
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Researchers developed a low-cost method to detect microplastics in everyday products like salt, sugar, tea bags, and toothpaste using a smartphone microscope attachment and artificial intelligence. The deep learning system achieved over 90% accuracy in identifying microplastic particles. This affordable approach could help consumers and regulators quickly screen products for microplastic contamination.
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Brazilian researchers tested a simple, low-cost optical microscopy method using Bengal Rose dye to screen commercial table salts for microplastic contamination, finding particles in all six brands tested including an analytical-grade salt, at 33–236 particles per kilogram. The method is designed to systematically undercount rather than overcount, reducing false positives while making microplastic monitoring accessible to laboratories without expensive FTIR or Raman equipment. The work confirms that dietary salt is a consistent route of microplastic ingestion for people worldwide. (Note: this appears to be a near-duplicate of paper 39945.)
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