Papers

20 results
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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 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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

The presence of microplastics in commercial salts from different countries

Researchers analyzed 17 commercial salt brands from eight countries and found microplastic particles in all but one, with concentrations ranging from 1 to 10 particles per kilogram. The most common plastics were polypropylene and polyethylene, appearing mainly as fragments. While the estimated human intake from salt alone appears minimal, the study confirms that microplastics have infiltrated yet another everyday food product.

2017 Scientific Reports 623 citations
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