Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.
Sci Rep. 2021 Nov 30;11(1):23187. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-02457-y.
Microplastics (MP) were recognized as an emergent pollution problem due to their ubiquitous nature and bioaccumulative potential. Those present in salt for consumption could represent a human exposure route through dietary uptake. The current study, conducted in Bangladesh, reports microplastics contamination in coarse salt prepared for human consumption. Sea salt samples were collected from eight representative salt pans located in the country's largest salt farming area, in the Maheshkhali Channel, along the Bay of Bengal. Microplastics were detected in all samples, with mean concentrations ranging from 78 ± 9.33 to 137 ± 21.70 particles kg, mostly white and ranging in size from 500-1000 µm. The prevalent types were: fragments (48%) > films (22%) > fibers (15%) > granules and lines (both 9%). Fourier transform mid-IR and near-IR spectra (FT-MIR-NIR) analysis registered terephthalate (48%), polypropylene (20%), polyethylene (17%), and polystyrene (15%) in all samples. These results contribute to the MP's pollution knowledge in sea salts to understand and reduce this significant human exposure route and environmental pollution source in the future.
微塑料（MP）由于其普遍存在和生物蓄积潜力而被认为是一种新出现的污染问题。那些存在于食用盐中的微塑料可能代表了通过饮食摄入的人类暴露途径。本研究在孟加拉国进行，报告了食用粗盐中的微塑料污染情况。从该国最大的盐田地区——孟加拉湾的 Maheshkhali 海峡的八个代表性盐田中采集了海盐水样。所有样品中均检测到微塑料，平均浓度范围为 78 ± 9.33 至 137 ± 21.70 个颗粒/千克，主要为白色，尺寸在 500-1000 µm 之间。主要类型为：碎片（48%）> 薄膜（22%）> 纤维（15%）> 颗粒和线（均为 9%）。傅里叶变换中红外和近红外光谱（FT-MIR-NIR）分析在所有样品中均记录到邻苯二甲酸酯（48%）、聚丙烯（20%）、聚乙烯（17%）和聚苯乙烯（15%）。这些结果有助于了解海盐中微塑料的污染情况，以便在未来减少这种重要的人类暴露途径和环境污染源。
