Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Analysis of microplastics in table salt by FT-IR microscopy

This Japanese-language study used FT-IR microscopy to detect microplastics in three brands of Japanese sea salt, finding polypropylene and polyethylene particles above 20 micrometers in all samples. The study demonstrates that sea salt produced from different coastal regions already contains microplastics, representing a direct dietary exposure pathway.

2023 Nippon Shokuhin Kagaku Kogaku Kaishi 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification and quantification of common microplastics in table salts by a multi-technique-based analytical method

Researchers developed a multi-technique analytical method combining microscope-FTIR and pyrolysis-GC/MS to identify and quantify microplastics in table salts, providing 3D information on polymer type, morphology, and chemical composition of food-grade salt contaminants.

2022 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 26 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

Identification and quantification of microplastics in salts by complementary approaches using pyrolysis-gas chromatography/quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (Py-GC/QTOFMS) and laser direct infrared (LDIR) chemical imaging analysis

Researchers used complementary analytical approaches, including pyrolysis-gas chromatography with mass spectrometry and laser direct infrared imaging, to identify and quantify microplastics in table salt. The study provides improved mass concentration data for different polymer types and sizes of plastic particles contaminating salt products worldwide.

2024 Environmental Pollution 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Development of a Near-Infrared Imaging System for Identifying Microplastics in Water

Researchers developed a near-infrared imaging system capable of automatically identifying and characterizing microplastics suspended in water, successfully obtaining material identification images without the manual sorting typically required by conventional methods.

2022 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection of microplastics in sea salt using hyperspectral imaging and machine learning methods: Pollution control in the Mediterranean sea as a case study

Hyperspectral imaging combined with machine learning was used to detect and classify microplastics in Mediterranean sea salt samples, demonstrating a rapid, non-destructive analytical approach with potential for routine quality control in the food industry.

2025 Spectrochimica Acta Part A Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy 3 citations
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

A sustainable analytical workflow for microplastic detection and typification via NIR-HSI: Validation through sea salt analysis

Researchers developed a sustainable analytical workflow for detecting and classifying microplastics using near-infrared hyperspectral imaging combined with chemometrics. The study validated the method through sea salt analysis, demonstrating a rapid, non-destructive, and solvent-free approach that aligns with green analytical chemistry principles for environmental microplastic monitoring.

2026 Green Analytical Chemistry
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

An effective strategy for the monitoring of microplastics in complex aquatic matrices: Exploiting the potential of near infrared hyperspectral imaging (NIR-HSI)

Researchers developed a near infrared hyperspectral imaging (NIR-HSI) method for rapid monitoring of microplastics in complex marine matrices, demonstrating effective detection and polymer identification that overcomes the time and cost limitations of conventional spectroscopic analysis approaches.

2021 Chemosphere 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Rapid and direct detection of small microplastics in aquatic samples by a new near infrared hyperspectral imaging (NIR-HSI) method

Researchers developed a rapid near-infrared hyperspectral imaging method capable of detecting and chemically identifying small microplastics (down to a few hundred micrometers) in aquatic samples faster and with less labor than traditional spectroscopy approaches.

2020 Chemosphere 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Application of High-Resolution Near-Infrared Imaging Spectroscopy to Detect Microplastic Particles in Different Environmental Compartments

Researchers enhanced a lab-based near-infrared imaging spectroscopy setup with a microscopic lens to detect microplastic particles as small as 100 micrometers across multiple environmental sample types, significantly speeding up analysis compared to traditional methods. Faster, semi-automated detection tools are essential for scaling up environmental monitoring of microplastics, which currently requires labor-intensive laboratory work.

2023 Water Air & Soil Pollution 14 citations
Article Tier 2

A comprehensive and fast microplastics identification based on near-infrared hyperspectral imaging (HSI-NIR) and chemometrics

Researchers developed a near-infrared hyperspectral imaging method combined with chemometric analysis for rapid, high-throughput identification of microplastic types in mixed samples, achieving high classification accuracy and offering a faster alternative to FTIR and Raman methods for routine monitoring.

2021 Environmental Pollution 118 citations
Article Tier 2

Polymer Type Identification of Marine Plastic Litter Using a Miniature Near-Infrared Spectrometer (MicroNIR)

Researchers tested a miniature near-infrared spectrometer (MicroNIR) for rapidly identifying polymer types in marine plastic litter collected from beaches, finding it could accurately distinguish common plastics like polyethylene and polypropylene. Low-cost, portable identification tools are important for large-scale monitoring of marine plastic pollution.

2020 Applied Sciences 59 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

Development of a rapid detection protocol for microplastics using reflectance-FTIR spectroscopic imaging and multivariate classification

Reflectance-FTIR spectroscopy was evaluated as a faster and more automated detection method for microplastics in environmental samples, with results showing strong potential for high-throughput screening. The method could reduce the time and cost of routine microplastic monitoring programs.

2023 Environmental Science Advances 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Rapid shipboard measurement of net-collected marine microplastic polymer types using near-infrared hyperspectral imaging

Researchers developed a rapid near-infrared hyperspectral imaging method for identifying polymer types in ship-collected marine microplastic samples, achieving results in minutes compared to hours for conventional methods and enabling higher-throughput ocean monitoring.

2023 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparison of Raman and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy for the Quantification of Microplastics in the Aquatic Environment

Microplastics from North Sea surface waters were analyzed by both Raman and FTIR spectroscopy across two size fractions, with automated Raman quantifying approximately twice as many particles ≤500 μm as FTIR imaging, but similar results for larger particles. The comparison study identifies key trade-offs between the two techniques and demonstrates that method choice significantly affects microplastic abundance estimates.

2018 Environmental Science & Technology 448 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Table Salts: Sources, Abundance, Types, and Consumption– A Review

This global review synthesizes research on microplastic contamination in table salts, examining sources, abundance, particle types, and estimated human consumption, finding that sea salts tend to have higher microplastic loads than rock or lake salts.

2025 Pakistan Journal of Analytical & Environmental Chemistry
Article Tier 2

Quantifying ecological risks of aquatic micro- and nanoplastic

This study analyzed microplastic contamination in table salts from multiple countries and found plastic particles present in the vast majority of samples tested. Sea salt contained the highest levels of microplastics compared to rock and lake salts, reflecting the extent of marine plastic pollution. The findings suggest that table salt is a previously underappreciated pathway for human microplastic ingestion, with estimated annual intake varying by geographic region.

2018 Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology 531 citations
Article Tier 2

Material identification and imaging of microplastics when dispersed in water using near-infrared light toward combination with a flow cell

Researchers developed a near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy method for identifying and imaging microplastics in water without requiring drying, testing it on polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and polymethyl methacrylate particles. The method was designed to integrate with a flow cell for continuous measurement, enabling real-time microplastic identification in water samples.

2023 Japanese Journal of Applied Physics 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification and characterization of microplastics in surface water samples from the Northeast Atlantic Ocean using laser direct infrared imaging

Researchers quantified microplastics in Northeast Atlantic Ocean surface waters using laser direct infrared imaging, detecting particles down to 20 micrometers and revealing microplastic concentrations and polymer compositions across eight sampling locations.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection of Microplastic in Salts Using Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy

Researchers demonstrated that terahertz spectroscopy can detect microplastics embedded in table salt at different concentrations. This technology could offer a new non-destructive method for screening food products for microplastic contamination.

2021 Sensors 20 citations
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