Imagine reaching out for everyday essentials like salt or sugar and unknowingly ingesting tiny plastic particles with it. This is the disturbing reality that has been unveiled in a recent study that found microplastics in all major brands of salt and sugar being sold in India. These microplastic particles, normally invisible to the naked eye, do not just float in our oceans or lie on our beaches; now they penetrate into our kitchens. This revelation has sparked serious concerns about the long-term health implications of consuming these microplastics daily. As we continue to reach for these staples in our cooking and baking, it's extremely important to be aware of the possible dangers residing in these supposedly harmless ingredients. The research brings out into the limelight that there is a gradually developing environmental and health concern, to be taken serious notice of and actioned upon on an urgent basis.
Microplastics in Sugar and Salt
A study by the environmental research organisation Toxics Link has come up with a shocking discovery: entitled "Microplastics in Salt and Sugar," it reveals that every Indian brand of salt and sugar, irrespective of whether it is big or small, packaged or unpackaged, contains microplastics. The researchers tested 10 types of salt, including table salt, rock salt, sea salt, and local raw salt. The microplastic concentration in the samples went as high as 6.71 to 89.15 pieces per kilogram of dry weight. Among these were iodised salt with the highest levels of 89.15 pieces per kilo and organic rock salt with the lowest level of 6.70 pieces per kilo.
They also tested five types of sugar bought from online and local markets, finding that the highest concentration of microplastics was found in non-organic sugar, with 11.85 to 68.25 pieces per kilo. The microplastics in these samples were presented in all forms, such as fibres, pellets, films, and fragments, which had sizes from 0.1 mm to 5 mm.
What Are Microplastics?
Microplastics are small plastic particles of less than 5 mm in size. They can either be a product of the degradation of other large plastic waste or prepared directly in the form of microbeads, which, in turn, enter use in personal care products and cleaning agents. As they are very minute, microplastic particles easily spread into the environment and contaminate air, water, and even food. Piling up over time in the ecosystem, these particles pose severe hazards to human health and the environment.
Dangers of Microplastics
Hormone Disruption
Microplastics contain chemicals that are regarded as hormone disruptors, which act just like estrogen and testosterone inside a human's body. These endocrine disruptors mislead the natural functions of the human body and result in many reproductive issues, including infertility and diseases such as polycystic ovary syndrome, to mention a few.
Higher Chances of Chronic Diseases
Long-term exposure to microplastics can increase the risk for acquiring type 2 diabetes and heart diseases. The chemicals from microplastics, such as dioxins and phthalates, along with other persistent organic pollutants, have been highly associated with inflammation, insulin resistance, and obesity, which, therefore, are precursors to those chronic diseases.
Impairment of Immune Health
Microplastics can engender gut dysbiosis, which means gut inflammation and imbalance in gut bacteria composition, thus weakening immunity. Considering the huge number of immune cells the gut hosts, any modification to this system will surely put a person at risk from a compromise in overall immune function and general health and an increased risk of various diseases.