Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Investigating the Correlation of Microplastic Pollution Between Seawater and Marine Salt Using Micro-Raman Spectroscopy

Micro-Raman spectroscopy was used to investigate the correlation between microplastic contamination in seawater and marine salt from the same source waters, finding that the polymer profiles of microplastics in salt broadly reflect those in the seawater from which the salt was produced.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of microplastics in different salts from Iran

Researchers analyzed microplastic concentrations in fifteen samples of crystallized, refined sea, unrefined sea, and rock salts from Iranian markets using scanning electron microscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy, finding microplastic contamination across all salt types with concentrations varying by processing method.

2021 International Journal of Environmental Health Engineering 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Risk assessment of microplastic in commercial salt sold in Malaysia

Researchers conducted a risk assessment of microplastics in commercial table salt sold in Malaysia, finding that contaminated seawater used during sea salt production introduces microplastics into a widely consumed daily food ingredient with potential adverse health effects.

2023 UiTM Institutional Repositories (Universiti Teknologi MARA)
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in commercial sea salt of Vietnam

Microplastics were found in 100% of sea salt samples from Vietnam, with raw salt containing more than twice the contamination of refined table salt. The findings add to a growing body of evidence that table salt—a dietary staple—is a source of human microplastic ingestion worldwide.

2021 Vietnam Journal of Science and Technology/Science and Technology 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of plastic waste pollution in seawater to microplastic contamination in salt fields at Rembang

This study found microplastic particles in sea salt harvested from salt pans in Rembang, Indonesia, tracing their origin to plastic waste in the surrounding seawater. The findings add to growing evidence that microplastics contaminate table salt, representing a direct route of human dietary exposure to plastic particles.

2023 AIP conference proceedings 1 citations
Article Tier 2

An investigation on the prevalence of microplastic in commercial and open pan salts obtained from Cox's Bazar and Maheshkhali region of Bay of Bengal (Bangladesh)

Researchers found microplastics in all commercial and open pan salt samples from the Cox's Bazar and Maheshkhali regions of Bangladesh, identifying polyethylene, PET, and other polymers through FTIR and Raman spectroscopy analysis.

2023 Food Science & Nutrition 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics pollution in salt pans from the Maheshkhali Channel, Bangladesh

Researchers analyzed sea salt samples from eight salt pans in the Maheshkhali Channel of Bangladesh and found microplastic contamination in every sample, with concentrations ranging from 78 to 137 particles per kilogram. Fragments were the most common type, and the dominant polymers identified were terephthalate, polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene. The findings highlight that sea salt represents a potentially significant route of human dietary exposure to microplastics.

2021 Scientific Reports 82 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification of Microdebris in Traditional Salts Processes from Sea Water in Woha-West Nusa Tenggara and Takalar Lama-South Sulawesi

This Indonesian study identified microdebris including microplastics in traditionally produced salt from two regions, finding contamination at multiple stages of the salt-making process. Microplastic contamination in table salt represents a direct route of human ingestion for people who consume salt produced from polluted coastal seawater.

2023 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic presence in commercial marine sea salts: A baseline study along Tuticorin Coastal salt pan stations, Gulf of Mannar, South India

Twenty-five sea salt samples from Tuticorin coastal salt pans in India were analyzed for microplastics, with particles under 100 μm comprising 60% of contaminants and polypropylene and polyethylene as the dominant polymers. The study establishes a baseline for microplastic contamination in commercially harvested sea salt from South India.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 117 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Contamination in Common Salt from Seawater

This book chapter examines microplastic contamination of sea salt produced from evaporation of seawater, reviewing evidence that salt from multiple countries contains MPs and discussing the human dietary exposure implications of consuming salt with plastic particle contaminants.

2025
Article Tier 2

Health risk and ecological risk assessment from microplastic contamination in sea salt : case study in Ban Laem salt field, Phetchaburi, Thailand

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in Thai sea salt and found hundreds of particles per kilogram across both traditional and plastic salt fields, with polyamide, polyethylene, and polypropylene fragments most common, posing measurable ecological and potential human health risks.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

A comprehensive pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis for the assessment of microplastics in various salts

Scientists measured microplastic contamination in different types of edible salt using advanced chemical analysis and found that sea salt contained the most microplastics, roughly 17 times more than rock salt. Polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET made up the vast majority of particles found, and some contamination came from the salt packaging itself. Based on average salt consumption, a person using sea salt could be exposed to over 2,300 micrograms of microplastics per year through salt alone.

2024 Food Chemistry 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Contamination of Indian sea salts with microplastics and a potential prevention strategy

All eight brands of Indian sea salt tested were found to contain microplastics, with concentrations ranging widely across brands, and the study proposed using improved salt harvesting methods to reduce contamination. The findings add to global evidence of widespread microplastic contamination in commercially sold sea salt, with direct implications for human dietary exposure.

2018 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 175 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of microplastics in edible salts from solar saltpans and commercial salts

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in sea salts from solar salt pans in Tamil Nadu, India, and several commercial salt brands. The study confirmed the presence of microplastics in all salt pan samples and two commercial salt brands, with fewer than 350 polymer fragments per sample representing multiple polymer types. These findings suggest that sea salt production is a pathway for microplastic contamination to reach human diets.

2023 Total Environment Research Themes 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Global Pattern of Microplastics (MPs) in Commercial Food-Grade Salts: Sea Salt as an Indicator of Seawater MP Pollution

A global analysis of commercial sea salts found microplastics in samples from 21 countries, with the highest concentrations in sea salts from Asia and the lowest in rock and lake salts. The findings suggest that sea salt can serve as an indicator of seawater microplastic pollution levels in surrounding regions.

2018 Environmental Science & Technology 387 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection of Microplastic in Sun-Dried Salt using Spectroscopic Technique

Researchers used spectroscopic techniques to detect microplastics in sun-dried sea salt from South Korea. Microplastics were found in the salt samples, confirming that sea salt produced from ocean water is a pathway through which humans can ingest plastic particles through everyday food consumption.

2020 한국농업기계학회 학술발표논문집
Article Tier 2

Determination of particle abrasion through milling with five different salt grinders – a preliminary study by micro-Raman spectroscopy with efforts towards improved quality control of the analytical methods

Researchers used micro-Raman spectroscopy to measure whether plastic and ceramic grinding burrs in salt mills shed microplastic particles into the salt during milling. Plastic burr mills released significantly more microplastic particles than ceramic ones, confirming that everyday food processing equipment can be a source of microplastic contamination in what we eat.

2020 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Determination of particle abrasion through milling with five different salt grinders – a preliminary study by micro-Raman spectroscopy with efforts towards improved quality control of the analytical methods

Researchers used micro-Raman spectroscopy to measure whether plastic and ceramic grinding burrs in salt mills shed microplastic particles into the salt during milling. Plastic burr mills released significantly more microplastic particles than ceramic ones, confirming that everyday food processing equipment can be a source of microplastic contamination in what we eat.

2020 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in salt pans and commercial salts – A baseline study on the salt pans of Marakkanam and Parangipettai, Tamil Nadu, India

Microplastic contamination was documented in commercial table salts and salt pan waters from two sites in Tamil Nadu, India, with fiber types dominating samples and concentrations reflecting regional coastal and atmospheric plastic pollution inputs.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 67 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution in Table Salts from China

Researchers analyzed table salts produced in China and found microplastics contaminating samples from multiple salt types, suggesting that salt production processes and source water quality influence the extent of microplastic contamination in a common food ingredient.

2015 Environmental Science & Technology 1056 citations