Abundances and chemical characterization of microplastic pollution in commercial salt and Salt Pans (Odavayal, Palk Bay, Southeast Coast of India): A baseline study

This study assessed abundances and chemical characterization of microplastic pollution in commercial salt and salt pans. A total of 205 microplastic particles were counted on nine salt samples. Salt pans from the Palk Bay area had a significantly higher concentration of microplastics (41 items/kg) compared to commercial salt (20.5 items/kg). Primarily, the microplastics were found in the form of fibers and fragments. Red, green, black, blue microplastics were identified in the samples. The identification of the polymers found was done by Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). This technique identified six types of microplastics: Polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene (PE), Polystyrene (PS), Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), Polyamide (PA), and nylon in commercial salts and salt pans. This study showed that salts and commercial salts were polluted by microplastics through polluted seawater, which constitutes a threat to human health.