Microplastic pollution from sea salt: its effect on public health and prevention alternatives - a review

Abstract

Salt is a commodity that is needed by everyone. There is a problem because many salts are contaminated with microplastics (MPs). Indonesia to meet the needs of industry with first-class quality salt must be imported. This paper is a review of microplastics from several salt importing countries to Indonesia and also to describe the effect of microplastics for the health public and prevention alternatives. This review used secondary data from total and types (MPs) contamination, amount of salt imports. The results show that almost all salt exports to Indonesia are contaminated by microplastic. Types of microplastic contaminated in Indonesia's sea salt production were tainted with MPs of PE, PP, and PET types. Contamination microplastic from imported salt is PE, PP, PET, Acrylic, nylon, PVC, PS. The number of polluted MPs is the lowest was 0-9 particles, the higher was 120-718 particles/kg salt. The effect of microplastic on health in the form of cancer, brain function, genetic changes, bronchitis, liver dysfunction, eye irritation. Alternative prevention by recycling plastic waste, changing public behavior in the use of plastics and filtration technology.