11/3/2022 0 Comments Channel pan absynth 5Its hydrology is also heavily influenced by the monsoon season (June–September) 9. This area has a semidiurnal tidal regime, with sea currents increasing from south to north, mainly near the coastal area 16. The channel includes the Bakkhali River to the south, discharging domestic, agricultural, and industrial waste before falling into the Bay 14, 15. The present study was performed in the Maheshkhali Channel (MC), located on the southeast coast of the Bay of Bengal (Fig. Located at the head of the Bay of Bengal, the coastline of Bangladesh represents a diversified hydro-geo-morphological environment, with several interruptions by estuarine inlets 13. It is expected that this study will form a baseline for MP salt pollution for the country, also enhancing knowledge about this emergent pollutant issue. Therefore the present study seeks to analyze for the first time the abundance, characteristics, and polymer composition of MP pollution in commercial salts obtained from salt pans along the Bangladesh coast. ![]() Despite the high consumption rates, there has been a lack of data on the presence of MP in table salt from Bangladesh. About 25% of the raw salt is transformed as waste during processing, while the remaining 75% is crushed and packed as iodide salt and distributed throughout the country, predominantly for human consumption. Around 60 salt processing mills exist in the Cox's Bazar district in Bangladesh 9, wherein washing, crushing, iodine mixing, drying, and packing are carried out. Sea salt is highly commercialized, being consumed worldwide, with the number of studies focusing on MP pollution in table salts increasing 11, 12. Accordingly, the final product may contain concentrates of the anthropogenic contaminants already present in the saltwater 10. It is first pumped into evaporation ponds, subsequently concentrated and crystallized by the action of the sun and wind, then being cut and packed for sale 9. During the production process, saltwater undergoes different physical processes. Table salts are obtained from mining mineral rock or the evaporation of water sources at sea 1. When it comes to MP pollution, salts for consumption are not exempt from the problem. Secondary MP results from the fragmentation of larger plastics 8. Primary MP are industry-made particles, mainly used in commercial formulations, from cosmetics and toothpaste to micro-additives in synthetic paints and coatings 8. MP can be classified into two basic groups, namely primary and secondary, depending on their origin. A lower limit to MP size study has not yet been defined, although most investigations have focused on the 0.3–5 mm size range 7. MPs become more threatening than large plastic materials because they could be swallowed and concentrated by aquatic organisms, including plankton 5, 6. 4, the significant percentage of the world's ocean plastics pollution is from Asia, with China contributing 28% of the mismanaged plastic waste, followed by Indonesia (10%), the Philippines and Vietnam (both 6%), Thailand 3.2%, Egypt 3%, Nigeria 2.7%, and South Africa 2%. ![]() According to the G20 Implementation Framework for Actions on Marine Plastic Litter, 20 countries are responsible for 80% of the plastic debris found in the sea, from which 90% originate from land-based sources. Furthermore, most plastics in the environment endure for a very long time 3. Added to this is the release of chemical compounds, further worsening the damage to the environment 2. The degradation of the plastic waste in the seawater is not the end of the problem as the microplastics (MP) generated have a destructive potential for the environment. Plastic pollution in the marine environment has become a major global problem 1. 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. 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. The prevalent types were: fragments (48%) > films (22%) > fibers (15%) > granules and lines (both 9%). 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. 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. The current study, conducted in Bangladesh, reports microplastics contamination in coarse salt prepared for human consumption. Those present in salt for consumption could represent a human exposure route through dietary uptake. Microplastics (MP) were recognized as an emergent pollution problem due to their ubiquitous nature and bioaccumulative potential.
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