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Microplastics have been detected in 95 per cent of sugar samples sold in Bangladesh, with researchers warning that consumers are unknowingly ingesting tiny plastic particles through their daily diet.
The findings were published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis in a study conducted by researchers Sadia Afrin, Nayon Hossain and Mostafizur Rahman.
The researchers analysed seven commercially available sugar products, including both branded and non-branded varieties, collected from retail markets across Dhaka.
According to the study, microplastic contamination was found in 95 per cent of the samples tested, with concentrations ranging from 210 to 508 particles per kilogram of sugar.
Branded sugar contained an average of 322 microplastic particles per kilogram, while non-branded or loose sugar contained an average of 403 particles per kilogram. Although loose sugar showed higher contamination, the difference between the two categories was not statistically significant.
The detected particles ranged in size from approximately 12 micrometres to 3.19 millimetres. About 63 per cent were fibres, 21 per cent fragments, 11 per cent films and 5 per cent spherical particles.
The researchers said the contamination could originate from plastic packaging, food-processing equipment, transportation, storage facilities and degraded plastic particles present in the surrounding environment.
Chemical analysis identified several plastic polymers, including acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and nylon.
The study also assessed potential human exposure, estimating that an adult could ingest an average of 0.2178 microplastic particles per kilogram of body weight per day through sugar consumption alone.
Although the estimated exposure level remains relatively low, the researchers warned that sugar represents a continuous source of microplastic intake and said further studies are needed to understand the long-term health effects.
They noted that plastic-based filters, pipes, sacks, conveyor systems and packaging materials used during sugar production and refining may contribute to contamination. Airborne microplastics introduced during processing, storage and distribution may also be a source.
The researchers called for the inclusion of microplastic monitoring in Bangladesh’s food safety system, stricter hygiene standards in food processing, and more comprehensive research into contamination of food products.
