Analysis of microplastic abundance, polymer composition, and the effect of natural filtration on traditionally produced cooking salt from Watu Asa Village Analisis kelimpahan mikroplastik, komposisi polimer, dan pengaruh filtrasi alami terhadap garam masak tradisional dari Desa Watu Asa
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boiling method, contaminant accumulation, food safety, polymer identification, physicochemical properties
Abstract
Traditional sea salt production is highly vulnerable to marine debris; however, comprehensive data on microplastic contamination and quality improvement through filtration technologies in boiling-based systems in emerging coastal regions, such as Central Sumba, remain severely limited. This study aimed to determine the physicochemical quality, normalized abundance, morphological characteristics, and specific polymer compositions of microplastics in sea salt and brine from the coastal area near the estuary of Watu Asa Village. The study applied a completely randomized design with three replicates to evaluate physical filtration treatments utilizing charcoal, sand, and palm fiber media, alongside a control. Samples were analyzed for moisture and NaCl levels, followed by wet digestion using 30% H₂O₂, quantification under a stereomicroscope, and chemical identification via Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The results showed that the filtration treatments significantly affected moisture and NaCl levels (p<0.05), where charcoal filtration yielded the highest NaCl content of 95.60±0.53% and lowered moisture to 5.20±0.12%. Furthermore, an independent sample t-test showed a significant difference in microplastic abundance between brine and final salt crystals (p<0.05). Microplastic contamination showed 100% prevalence, surging from 285 particles/L in brine to 35,000±2,500 particles/kg in salt crystals. Fibers and fragments predominated with sizes under 250 µm, while FTIR spectroscopy identified various synthetic polymers, including poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), polyethylene (PE), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), and polyurethane (PU). This study concludes that while coconut shell charcoal filtration successfully upgrades the physicochemical quality of traditional salt to meet national standards, the pervasive accumulation of micro-sized fragments presents a critical food safety warning that demands urgent and advanced intervention.
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