North India Statesman
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A report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) states that the continuous use of these things leads to a pile of plastic on the earth. Because they contain micro-plastics, a study titled 'Micro-plastics in Salt and Sugar' was recently prepared by an environmental research organization called Toxics Link. It is revealed that the institute has conducted this study after testing 10 types of salt, including table salt, rock salt, sea salt and local raw salt and five types of sugar purchased online and from local markets. This study revealed that all the samples of salt and sugar contained various types of micro-plastics, which are very harmful to our body. The study shows that all these microplastics are found in the form of fibers, pellets and fragments and the size of these micro-plastics is found between 0.1 mm to 5 mm. The study reported that the highest amount of micro-plastics was found in iodized salt, which was in the form of multicolored thin fibers and films. According to this recently released report, the amount of micro-plastics per kilogram was found between 6.71 to 89.15 pieces in salt samples. The highest amount of micro-plastics was found in iodized salt (89.15 pieces per kilogram) and the lowest amount was found in organic rock salt (6.70 pieces per kilogram). Micro-plastic pieces have also been found in salt and sugar. The amount of micro-plastics in sugar samples ranged from 11.85 to 68.25 pieces per kilogram, with the highest amount found in inorganic sugar.
Water and air are also affected
Indians use both sugar and salt extensively in their daily lives. This means that micro-plastics are also entering the bodies of Indians in large quantities. According to an estimate, Indians consume an average of 11 grams of salt and 10 teaspoons of sugar a day and this is much more than the limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO). Several previous studies have found micro-plastic particles in human organs such as lungs, heart, even in breast milk and unborn babies. It would not be wrong to say that humans are exposed to these micro-plastics through air, water and the food chain. 81 percent of tap water samples tested across the world were found to contain not only salt and sugar but also microplastic particles, with an average amount of 5.45 particles per liter and most of these particles were microfibers. The bottled water we drink is even more contaminated.
Dangerous to marine life
Recently, microplastics were found in 93 percent of bottled water samples from 11 major brands taken from 19 locations across the world, with an average of 10.4 plastic particles per liter. Studies show that when micro and nano-plastics enter the human body, they cause serious damage to human health. They damage human intestines, liver, spleen, respiratory system, lungs, circulatory system, etc. However, more research is needed on the effects of micro and nano-plastics on humans after they enter the body. It would not be wrong to say that plastic is harming our environment, marine life as well as human health in some way or the other.
Nowadays, many factories throw small plastic particles i.e. micro-plastics into the sea. Then fish or marine life swallow it. This makes marine creatures feel less hungry. This also causes changes in their behavior and DNA. Many animals have difficulty breathing and if a person eats seafood, then these microplastics also enter his body. This causes many dangerous changes in the body.
What is micro-plastic?
Now the question arises what is micro plastic? Microplastics are any type of plastic fragments whose length is less than 5 mm (0.20 inches). According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the European Chemicals Agency, they cause pollution by entering natural environmental systems from various sources including cosmetics, clothing, food packaging and industrial processes. According to another definition, microplastics are synthetic solid particles or polymer matrix, regular or irregular, ranging in size from 1 micron-5 mm, of primary or secondary origin, which are insoluble in water. Now this micro plastic has indirectly entered our food as well. You will be surprised to know that micro plastic is also found in clothes, cigarettes, cosmetics, etc.
infectious diseases
Scientists have raised concerns that exposure to micro-plastics can cause inflammation (linked to cancer, heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis and more), genotoxicity (damage that causes mutations that can lead to cancer), chronic diseases (such as atherosclerosis, cancer, diabetes, heart disease) and autoimmune diseases. Microplastics can be stopped from increasing but for this we have to work in this direction. It is important to make people aware about the negative effects of plastic. Only then can we really protect humans and animals as well as our environment.
