Occurrence of microplastics in packages of crispy dried crickets
Keywords:
Edible insect, Products, Microplastics, Human healthAbstract
Microplastic contamination is a serious problem all around the world. This issue arises because microplastics impact both human health and the environment. In many countries, insects are gaining popularity as a health-promoting and protein-rich dietary alternative. The purpose of this study was to investigate microplastic contamination in five packages of crispy insects, which were separated into 3 sizes: small, medium, and large, each with ten individual insects for a total of 150 crickets. A total of 3,865 microplastic particles were found. Small-sized crispy crickets had a higher level of microplastic contamination (128 items/individual) than medium-sized crispy insects (6 items/individual). The different sizes of crispy dry crickets in each package have no correlation with the quantity of microplastics. The most common type of microplastic (74.57%) was film-shaped, followed by fiber (7.50%), lines (2.69%), and fragments (15.27%). The major plastic polymers, identified using FT-IR, included cellulose acetate and the plasticizers, including glycerol triacetate and methyl acetyl ricinoleate. According to this investigation, crispy cricket products were contaminated with microplastics. The study's findings can be used to assess the risk of microplastic exposure and the level of exposure to microplastics contaminated with other processed insect products that are often ingested.
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