New Delhi: A recent study indicates a significant presence of micro-plastics in both salt and sugar consumed in India, raising substantial health concerns about the daily intake of these commonly used products.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the study, titled “Micro-plastics in Salt and Sugar,” was conducted by Toxics Link, an environmental research organization. It tested various types of salt and sugar, including table salt, rock salt, sea salt, local raw salt, and sugars from both online and local markets. The study found micro-plastics in all sampled products, appearing as fibers, pellets, films, and fragments, ranging from 0.1 mm to 5 mm in size.
Toxics Link’s research highlighted particularly high levels of micro-plastics in iodized salt, which contained multicolored thin fibers and films, reaching up to 89.15 pieces per kilogram. In contrast, organic rock salt contained the least amount of micro-plastics, with 6.70 pieces per kilogram. Sugar samples also showed significant contamination, with micro-plastic concentrations ranging from 11.85 to 68.25 pieces per kilogram, the highest levels found in non-organic varieties.
Ravi Agarwal, founder-director of Toxics Link, emphasized that the study aims to enhance the global understanding of micro-plastic pollution and to foster policy action and technological solutions to mitigate human exposure to these contaminants. Satish Sinha, associate director of Toxics Link, expressed concern over the findings and called for comprehensive research into the long-term effects of micro-plastics on human health.
This revelation is particularly alarming given the high consumption rates of salt and sugar in India, which exceed World Health Organization recommendations. The pervasive presence of micro-plastics, previously detected in human tissues and organs, underscores the urgent need for global and national responses to this escalating environmental and public health crisis.
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