The researchers have mentioned that several table salt brands have microplastics in them

News24xx.com -  According to a recent study "Contamination of Indian Sea Salts with Microplastics and a Potential Prevention Strategy” by Professor Amritanshu Shriwastav and Chandan Krishna Seth of Centre for Environmental Science and Engineering (CESE), IIT-Bombay, found that several table salt brands have microplastics in them. 

The study was published on August 25 2018 in the Environmental Science and Pollution Research, an international reviewed journal.

So, what are microplastics?

Microplastics are the small pieces of plastic, usually measuring less than 5 millimetres in diameter. They are formed in the environment from the disposal and breakdown of consumer products and industrial waste in the sea.

According to the researchers of IIT-Bombay, the samples tested resulted in 626 microplastic particles. The study further states that 63 percent of the microplastic particles were in the form of fragments and 37 percent were in form of fibres. 

It's means, a kilogram of salt had 0.063 milligrams of microplastic. Considering a person's daily salt consumption (up to 5 grams), the study revealed that an average Indian consumes about 0.117 milligrams of microplastic annually.

Professor Amritanshu talked about the need to understand the rising presence of microplastic in the human food chain. India is counted among the three largest producers of salt for domestic and industrial consumption.

Health experts feel that the consumption of plastic in any form is not advisable, as it may result in serious digestion issues. The researchers have claimed that around 85 percent of microplastic can be eliminated by a simple sand filtration method.

The researchers have mentioned that no study is available till date that talks about the dark side of consumption of microplastic.

 

 

 

 

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