Papers

20 results
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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

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

Microplastics in Salt of Tuticorin, Southeast Coast of India

Researchers extracted and characterized microplastics from 14 brands of food-grade sea salts and bore-well salts from Tuticorin, India, finding contamination in both salt types with fibers and fragments as dominant forms and polyethylene as the most common polymer.

2020 Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 114 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

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
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

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

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

High levels of microplastics in commercial salt and industrial salterns in Sri Lanka

All commercial salt products tested in Sri Lanka were contaminated with microplastics, with concentrations ranging from 11 to 193 items/kg in commercial salts and up to 253 items/kg in lab-grade NaCl, and significant variation between three analyzed saltern sites.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 77 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

The Existence, Characteristics, Sources, and Impact of Microplastics in Salt Products in Indonesia

This systematic literature review described the presence, characteristics, sources, and health impacts of microplastics in Indonesian salt products, finding consistent contamination across regions with PP, PE, and PA as dominant polymer types. The main contamination sources were polluted seawater used in salt production and unmanaged plastic waste near coastal evaporation ponds.

2025 Proceeding of International Seminar and Workshop on Public Health Action
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

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 and Characterisation of Microplastics in Food Grade Salts in India

Researchers analyzed 30 brands of food-grade salt available in India and found microplastics in all samples, with sea salt containing 13 to 27 particles per 100 grams and rock salt containing 8 to 29 particles per 100 grams. Particle sizes ranged from about 19 to 1,433 micrometers, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was the most commonly identified polymer. The study suggests that salt is a routine dietary source of microplastic exposure for consumers.

2026 Journal of Health and Allied Sciences NU
Article Tier 2

A study of the microplastic contamination of commercial table salts: A case study in Nigeria

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in eight commercial table salt brands sold in southwest Nigeria, detecting MPs in all samples with concentrations ranging from 4.0 to 13.8 particles per kilogram, predominantly fibers and fragments of polyethylene and polypropylene.

2023 Environmental Health Engineering and Management 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Contamination of table salts from Turkey with microplastics Part A Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment

This study analyzed 16 brands of table salt from Turkish markets and found microplastics in most samples, with concentration varying by salt type and source. The findings add to growing global evidence that microplastics have entered the human food chain through commercial sea and lake salt.

2018 Food Additives and Contaminants Part A-chemistry Analysis Control Exposure & Risk Assessment
Article Tier 2

Litter & microplastics features in table salts from marine origin: Italian versus Croatian brands

Researchers analyzed microplastic content in marine-origin table salts from Italian and Croatian commercial brands, finding microplastic contamination in all tested products with no macroplastic or mesoplastic particles recovered, and characterizing the size, shape, and polymer types present.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 156 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
Article Tier 2

Abundance, characteristics, and spatial–temporal distribution of microplastics in sea salts along the Cox’s Bazar coastal area, Bangladesh

Sea salt samples collected from Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, were found to contain microplastics in every sample analyzed, with concentrations ranging from 28.53 to 93.53 particles per kilogram. Fragment and fiber morphologies dominated, and the contamination profile reflected regional coastal pollution rather than purely marine sources.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 17 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