TY - JOUR
T1 - Microplastics pollution in salt pans from the Maheshkhali Channel, Bangladesh
AU - Rakib, Md Refat Jahan
AU - Al Nahian, Sultan
AU - Alfonso, María B.
AU - Khandaker, Mayeen Uddin
AU - Enyoh, Christian Ebere
AU - Hamid, Fauziah Shahul
AU - Alsubaie, Abdullah
AU - Almalki, Abdulraheem S.A.
AU - Bradley, D. A.
AU - Mohafez, Hamidreza
AU - Islam, Mohammad Aminul
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).
PY - 2021/12
Y1 - 2021/12
N2 - 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−1, 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.
AB - 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−1, 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.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85120161041&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85120161041&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41598-021-02457-y
DO - 10.1038/s41598-021-02457-y
M3 - Article
C2 - 34848770
AN - SCOPUS:85120161041
VL - 11
JO - Scientific Reports
JF - Scientific Reports
SN - 2045-2322
IS - 1
M1 - 23187
ER -
