Extraction and Analysis of Microplastics in Commercially Available Table Salts In Calamba, Laguna

Date

1-2023

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Chemistry

College

College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Amelia B. Hizon-Fradejas

Co-adviser

Cervinia V. Manalo

Committee Member

Ma. Desiree Belina-Aldemita

Restrictions

Restricted: Not available to the general public. Access is available only after consultation with author/thesis adviser and only to those bound by the confidentiality agreement.

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Abstract

The presence of microplastics (MPs) in salts has been widely studied in other countries, but there have been no reports yet on their presence in table salts in the Philippines. In this study, microplastics were extracted from 11 brands of commercially available salts in Calamba, Laguna in the Philippines. Specifically, this study aims to assess the efficacy of the method developed through positive and negative controls, classify the extracted MPs according to color and form using a digital microscope, quantify the number of MPs extracted,and determine the composition of the MPs using FTIR-ATR analysis. Microplastics have been detected in all 11 brands with averages vary ing from 17 ±20 to 263 ± 138 MP/kg. Fiber-type microplastics were commonly detected across all 11 brands while fragment-type microplastics were detected in 6 brands (brand B, D, E, G, J, K) and sheet-type microplastics were only detected in 1 brand (brand K). The colors of microplastic particles visualized are black, blue, clear blue, clear, red, green, and yellow. The polymer types of the characterized microplastic particles using FTIR-ATR were suggested to be nylon, polypropylene (PP), low-density polyethylene (LDPE) polyacrylonitrile (PAN),polyurethane (PU),and polystyrene (PS). The data show agreement with that observed in other studies. The possible sources of the MPs extracted from chosen brands of table salts vary on their polymer types: Nylon can come from fishing nets; PP and PE can come from water pollution or the salts production process and packaging; PAN and PU can come from fishing rods and other anthropogenic and tourism activities; and PS can come from plastic utensils. Based on the data obtained in this study, the adult population in most Asian countries who consume>4.6 grams per day of sodium (>11.7 g/day of salt) can intake up to 611 microplastic particles per year. Adverse effects from the consumption of microplastic-contaminated salts are highly possible due to this amount.

Keywords: FTIR, microplastics, table salt

Language

English

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

Call Number

LG 993.5 2023 C42 A73

Document Type

Thesis

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