Ahmedabad: When you spice up your food with salt, chances are you sprinkled plastic on it – a little bag, a cup, or tableware.
The researchers have found a microplastics in table salt, flour material everywhere, thus indicating that Gujarat addiction to the convenience of single use will return to bite it.
Recently, three Tamil Nadu universities along with the National Polar and Sea Research Center, Goa, studied salt samples from Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.
The two countries are the main producers of salt that can be eaten and depend on the sea to make it.
Microplastic is small particles, such as 100-200 micrometers, which destroys from single or general plastic items.
These items include packaging materials, tableware, paint used for roads, polyester textiles, beads, fish nets, tools, and cosmetics.
The total microplastic content ranges from 46-115 particles per 200g in Gujarat salt samples, according to researchers.
In the case of Tamil Nadu, it ranges from 23-101 particles per 200g.
Because this is a research that arises, no reference limitations are available to address the permitted level.
The most common microplastics identified in edible salts are polyethylene, polyester, and polyvinyl chloride.
Assistant Professor Vidyasakar Department of Geology Periyar Tamil Nadu University, “Sources of microplastic fiber can be in the form of salt-producing processing and packaging units.” Air particles can be another source, he said.
According to Vidyasakar, 74.3% of the total microplastics found in this study were red-and-blue fibrous materials.
“We want states that produce and package salts to recognize microplastics as a problem,” said Vidyasakar.
“We want the state to improve their purification process.” Other researchers, Assistant Professor S Krisar Krisar from the Geology Department of the Malankara Tamil Nadu College, said, “Our team conducted a basic study of the presence of particles in the Gujarat and Tamil Nadu samples.” Kumar added, “We have not investigated the effect on our body.” It will take a decade before the adverse consequences have been known, he said.
“But first we have to recognize the existence of microplastics,” Kumar said.
Other researchers are K Suresh Kumar, P Saravanan, and K cable from Madras University; And N Neelavannan, S Anbalagan, and S Srinasalu from the Institute for Ocean Management, Anna University.
The research team also included S Kamaraj from the Periyar University Biotechnology Department; and n s magges from the national center for polar and sea research.