Papers

61,005 results
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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
Article Tier 2

From Sea Water to Salt Crystals: An Onsite Investigation of Microplastics in a Conventional Sea Salt Farming System

Researchers conducted on-site sampling of sea salt crystals and traced microplastic contamination at multiple stages from seawater through to the final salt product. Microplastics were detected throughout the production chain, highlighting potential dietary exposure from table salt.

2024 Environmental Geochemistry and Health 7 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)
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Microplastic contamination of salt intended for human consumption: a systematic review and meta-analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis examined microplastic contamination in table salt from around the world. It found that microplastics are present in most salt products intended for human consumption, with sea salt generally containing more particles than rock or lake salt, representing a consistent source of dietary microplastic exposure.

2020 SN Applied Sciences 60 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

An exploratory study of fibre microplastics pollution in different process stages of salt production by solar evaporation in Spain

An exploratory study of a solar evaporation salt production facility in Spain found microplastic fibers present at every stage of the production process, suggesting that salt can become contaminated well before packaging.

2024 Heliyon 6 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

Microplastic Presence in Commercial Sea Salt: Sampling and Quantification Challenges

Researchers quantified microplastic presence in commercially available sea salt from multiple countries, encountering significant challenges in sampling protocols and analytical detection limits that complicated comparisons between studies. The authors propose standardized sampling and extraction methods to improve reproducibility in sea salt microplastic research.

2024
Article Tier 2

Analysis of the effect of salt processing on microplastic residues in crushed and washed sea salt

This study examined how standard sea salt processing — crushing and washing crude sea salt — affects the level of microplastic contamination. The processing removed between 56% and 98% of microplastic particles present in crude salt, reducing counts from around 256 particles per 10 g to as low as 6 particles per 10 g. The findings are reassuring for food safety but confirm that microplastics from marine pollution do enter the salt production chain and that processing steps matter for final contamination levels.

2023 Journal of Sea Research 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination and risk assessment in salts from India And Sri Lanka

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in commonly available salts from India and Sri Lanka, including sea salt, rock salt, and refined table salt. Microplastics were detected across most salt varieties, indicating that this staple condiment is a dietary route of human microplastic exposure in South Asia.

2024 1 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

Detection and Characterization of Microplastics in Commercial Salts in India

Researchers detected and characterized microplastics in commercial salts available in India, including rock salt, sea salt, and table salt varieties. The study found widespread microplastic contamination across salt types, raising food safety concerns given the ubiquity of salt as a dietary staple.

2024 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in Indonesian consumable salts

Researchers analyzed both traditionally produced and commercial branded sea salts from Indonesia and found microplastics in all samples tested. Traditionally produced salts contained the highest contamination levels, with up to 3,753 particles per kilogram, though branded salts also contained significant amounts. The study indicates that sea salt is a notable dietary source of microplastic exposure for consumers.

2024 Journal of Sea Research 8 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

Consuming microplastics? Investigation of commercial salts as a source of microplastics (MPs) in diet

Researchers analyzed various commercial Australian salts, including both marine and terrestrial varieties, for microplastic contamination. The study detected microplastics in all salt samples tested, including the first detection in black salt, indicating that commercial table salt is a potential dietary source of microplastic exposure for humans.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Extraction of microplastics from commonly used sea salts in India and their toxicological evaluation

Scientists extracted and characterized microplastics from commercial sea salts sold in India, finding contamination across brands and conducting toxicological tests showing potential harm to marine organisms.

2020 Chemosphere 95 citations
Article Tier 2

“Microplastic seasoning”: A study on microplastic contamination of sea salts in Bangladesh

Researchers tested 18 brands of commercial sea salt from Bangladesh and found microplastics present in every sample, with an average of about 472 particles per kilogram. The study suggests that sea salt represents a dietary pathway for human microplastic exposure, with fibers and fragments being the most commonly detected particle types.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution from sea salt: its effect on public health and prevention alternatives - a review

This review examines microplastic contamination in sea salt from countries that export to Indonesia, summarizing polymer types, contamination levels, public health effects of ingested microplastics, and potential prevention strategies to reduce human salt-borne plastic exposure.

2020 E3S Web of Conferences 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in commercial salt: An issue for their sampling and quantification

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in commercial sea salt from three Italian salterns and found an average of approximately 1,653 microplastic particles per kilogram of salt. The study highlights important methodological considerations for sampling and quantification, noting that the physical characteristics and polymer types of microplastics varied across sampling locations.

2022 Food Chemistry 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics Detected in Commercial Sea Salt

Researchers detected nanoplastic particles in commercial sea salt samples using advanced analytical techniques, demonstrating that a widely consumed everyday food product is contaminated with plastic nanoparticles derived from ocean and atmospheric pollution. The findings raise concerns about dietary nanoplastic exposure for people of all ages through routine salt consumption.

2022
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

Microplastic contamination in processed and unprocessed sea salts from a developing country and potential risk assessment

Researchers found that sea salts from Bangladesh contained 157-195 microplastic particles per kilogram, 2-3 times higher than levels reported in other countries, with unprocessed salts containing more contamination than processed varieties.

2022 Chemosphere 39 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

Microplastic contamination in edible sea salt from the largest salt-producing states of India

Microplastics were found in edible sea salt samples from the major salt-producing states of India, with crystal salt containing lower concentrations than powdered salt, and fibers and fragments as the dominant types, confirming that sea salt is a source of human dietary microplastic exposure in South Asia.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 63 citations