Pirsaheb Meghdad, Nouri Monireh, Massahi Tooraj, Makhdoumi Pouran, Baban Negin Azadi, Hossini Hooshyar
Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health (RCEDH), Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
Heliyon. 2024 Jul 9;10(14):e34363. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34363. eCollection 2024 Jul 30.
Microplastics (MPs) pollution represents a nascent environmental contaminant that has recently infiltrated human life and the food chain. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the presence of MPs in different brands of Iranian sausages. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of MPs particles were conducted using stereo- and fluorescent microscopy, FT-IR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy), and SEM-EDS (Scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) techniques. Samples were collected from the most commonly consumed sausage brands in Iranian markets. The findings showed that the various sausage brands contained an average abundance of 25.7 ± 21.68 (range 10-70) and 55.45 ± 45.5 (range 10-175) particles/kg based on optical and fluorescent microscopy analyses, respectively. Predominantly, MPs were identified in fiber form (77-89 %), with a smaller proportion present in fragmented form (11-23 %). Polymer analysis using FT-IR identified polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS) as the primary constituents. Furthermore, the estimated annual intake (EAI) of MPs was calculated at 804 and 3517 particles/kg bw/year for adults and children, respectively, based on optical microscopy observations. In comparison, fluorescent microscopy indicated an intake of 1734 and 7589 particles/kg bw/year for the respective age groups. These results emphasize the potential of MPs contamination to penetrate into different food products including sausages through processing routes, which can threaten human health.
微塑料（MPs）污染是一种新出现的环境污染物，最近已渗透到人类生活和食物链中。本研究的主要目的是调查不同品牌伊朗香肠中微塑料的存在情况。使用立体显微镜和荧光显微镜、傅里叶变换红外光谱（FT-IR）以及扫描电子显微镜-能量色散X射线光谱（SEM-EDS）技术对微塑料颗粒进行了定性和定量分析。样本从伊朗市场上最常消费的香肠品牌中采集。研究结果表明，根据光学显微镜和荧光显微镜分析，各香肠品牌中微塑料颗粒的平均丰度分别为25.7±21.68（范围10 - 70）和55.45±45.5（范围10 - 175）颗粒/千克。主要发现微塑料呈纤维状（77 - 89%），碎片状的比例较小（11 - 23%）。使用FT-IR进行的聚合物分析确定聚乙烯（PE）和聚苯乙烯（PS）为主要成分。此外，根据光学显微镜观察结果，成年人和儿童每年摄入微塑料的估计量（EAI）分别为804和3517颗粒/千克体重/年。相比之下，荧光显微镜显示相应年龄组的摄入量分别为1734和7589颗粒/千克体重/年。这些结果强调了微塑料污染通过加工途径渗透到包括香肠在内的不同食品中的可能性，这可能威胁人类健康。
