Microplastics have been found in almost all salt and sugar, whether packed or unpackaged. It is worth noting that microplastics are considered one of the major factors of cancer.
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Consumption of salt and sugar has been considered harmful for overall health in many ways. Excessive consumption of this can lead to diabetes, inflammation in the body, blood pressure and heart diseases. However, the damage caused to health by salt and sugar is not limited to this, it can also increase the risk of cancer.
In fact, a recent study has revealed that Indian brands of salt and sugar may contain microplastic.Microplastic have been found in almost all salt and sugar, whether packed or unpackaged. It is worth noting that microplastic are considered one of the major factors of cancer.
Environmental research organization Toxics Link has published this study on Tuesday (August 13) under the name ‘Microplastics in Salt and Sugar’.Researchers said that things containing microplastic can increase many types of cancer as well as disorders related to the brain and nerves. All people need to be especially careful and cautious about such things.
Microplastics in salt and sugar
During the study, researchers studied 10 types of salt sold in India, such as table salt, rock salt, sea salt and local raw salt. Along with this, five types of sugar bought online and from local markets were also tested.
The study revealed the presence of microplastic in various forms, including fibers and small pieces, in all the salt and sugar samples. The size of these microplastic ranged from 0.1 mm to 5 mm. The highest amount of microplastic was found in iodized salt.Microplastic of this size can be seriously harmful to health.
What do experts say?
Ravi Agarwal, founder-director of Toxics Link, said, the aim of our study was to contribute to the existing scientific database on microplastic. Microplastics and the health risks caused by them have been a cause of great concern.
It is worrying to find microplastics in all the salt and sugar samples in the study. Urgent, comprehensive research is needed on the long-term side effects of microplastics on human health.
The concentration of microplastics in salt samples ranged from 6.71 to 89.15 pieces per kilogram of dry weight. This amount is enough to seriously harm our health.
Concentrations found in sugar too
The concentration of microplastics in sugar samples ranged from 11.85 to 68.25 pieces per kilogram, with the highest concentrations found in non-organic sugar. Since both salt and sugar are consumed on a daily basis in our homes, it is important to be alert about the risks.
Studies have found that the average Indian consumes 10.98 gram of salt and about 10 teaspoons of sugar every day, which is much more than the World Health Organisation’s recommended limit. The presence of microplastics in this is considered to be a matter of further concern.
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What kind of plastic?
Toxics Link founder director Ravi Agarwal and associate director Satish Sinha said that the presence of substantial amounts of microplastics in all the salt and sugar samples is worrying. He said that the presence of microplastics in salt and sugar was found in the form of fibers, pellets, thin membranes and pieces.
This plastic was of eight colors. These colors include transparent, white, blue, red, black, purple, green and yellow. Its quantity was found to be minimal in the organic sugar sample.
Microplastics can have many disadvantages.
Recent research has found microplastics in human organs like lungs, heart and even in breast milk and unborn babies.
Researchers said that if you also drink water in plastic bottles, then also be careful. There can be more than 100,000 microscopic pieces of plastic in every liter of water in a plastic bottle. By drinking only one bottle of water, we are allowing 10 times more amount of plastic to enter the body. Small pieces of plastic that come out from the layers of bottles are called microplastics and nanoplastics. These can be the cause of many diseases in the body over time.
Source and Reference :
1. Microplastic pollution in table salt and sugar: Occurrence, qualification and quantification and risk assessment
