Estimation of Dietary Microplastic Ingestion: Empirical Analysis for Delhi-NCR

Paridhi Tyagi Paliwal

doi:doi:10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.21

Research Article |

| Peer-Reviewed

Estimation of Dietary Microplastic Ingestion: Empirical Analysis for Delhi-NCR

Paridhi Tyagi Paliwal^*

Published in Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences (Volume 14, Issue 5)

Received: 3 September 2026 Accepted: 23 September 2026 Published: 29 October 2026

Views: Downloads:

Download PDF

Share This Article

Twitter
Linked In
Facebook

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) are increasingly detected in food products and may contribute to human exposure through daily dietary consumption. However, information on dietary MP exposure in Delhi-NCR, India, remains limited. This study aimed to investigate MP contamination in commonly consumed food items and assess their potential contribution to dietary exposure among residents of Delhi-NCR. An online survey involving 175 participants was conducted to determine the consumption frequency of eight food items: potato, egg, apple, potato chips, whole wheat flour, instant noodles, honey, and chicken. Food samples were analyzed using acetone-assisted extraction and compound light microscopy at 10× and 40× magnification. Estimated dietary exposure was assessed by combining measured MP concentrations with reported consumption frequencies and standard serving sizes. MP concentrations varied across the analyzed food items, ranging from 0 particles g^-1 in glass-packaged honey to 15 particles g^-1 in whole wheat flour. Whole wheat flour exhibited the highest MP concentration and was the most frequently consumed food item among the participants. Potato chips and instant noodles also showed relatively high MP concentrations, whereas honey showed no detected MPs in the analyzed sample. These findings indicate that commonly consumed staple foods may represent important contributors to dietary MP exposure in Delhi-NCR. The study highlights the need for routine monitoring of MPs in staple foods, improved contamination-control measures during food production and processing, and further research using polymer-confirmation techniques to strengthen the assessment of dietary MP exposure in India.

Published in	Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences (Volume 14, Issue 5)
DOI	10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.21
Page(s)	375-387
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Microplastics, Dietary Exposure, Food Contamination, Estimated Annual Ingestion, Light Microscopy, Public Health

References

[1]	S. Adhikari, V. Kelkar, R. Kumar, R. U. Halden, Methods and challenges in the detection of microplastics and nanoplastics: a mini-review, Polym. Int. 71 (2022) 543–551. https://doi.org/10.1002/pi.6348
[2]	S. Sharma, S. Basu, N. P. Shetti, M. N. Nadagouda, T. M. Aminabhavi, Microplastics in the environment: Occurrence, perils, and eradication, Chemical Engineering Journal 408 (2021) 127317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2020.127317
[3]	S. Chandra, K. B. Walsh, Microplastics in water: Occurrence, fate and removal, J. Contam. Hydrol. 264 (2024) 104360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconhyd.2024.104360
[4]	R. S. Mahidev, G. H. Aravind, K. Sandeep, S. Arya, M. Santosh, E. Shaji, Microplastics in freshwater lakes: A case study from Southern India, Geosystems and Geoenvironment 3 (2024) 100306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geogeo.2024.100306
[5]	P. Singh, M. Kumar, Microplastic pollution in the street dust of Delhi: a study on seasonal variations, Environmental Science and Pollution Research 32 (2025) 18320–18336. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-025-36753-1
[6]	P. K. Jaiswal, R. Singh, S. Kumar, D. Sharma, A. Mukherjee, N. Kumar, R. Kumar, Assessment of microplastic pollution load in road dust and associated health risk in a semi-arid region of Rajasthan, India, Environmental Sustainability 9 (2026) 131–152. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42398-025-00370-y
[7]	A. Al Mamun, T. A. E. Prasetya, I. R. Dewi, M. Ahmad, Microplastics in human food chains: Food becoming a threat to health safety, Science of The Total Environment 858 (2023) 159834. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159834
[8]	E. Winiarska, M. Jutel, M. Zemelka-Wiacek, The potential impact of nano- and microplastics on human health: Understanding human health risks., Environ. Res. 251 (2024) 118535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2024.118535
[9]	S. V. L. Leonard, C. R. Liddle, C. A. Atherall, E. Chapman, M. Watkins, S. D. J. Calaminus, J. M. Rotchell, Microplastics in human blood: Polymer types, concentrations and characterisation using μFTIR, Environ. Int. 188 (2024) 108751. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2024.108751
[10]	M. K. Momeni, H. Taghipour, M. Ghayebzadeh, M. Mohammadi, R. Keikhaee, Isolation and characterization of microplastics from the human respiratory system: Sputum, broncho-alveolar lavage fluid, and pleural fluid simultaneously, Environmental Pollution 365 (2025) 125389. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2024.125389
[11]	A. Ragusa, V. Notarstefano, A. Svelato, A. Belloni, G. Gioacchini, C. Blondeel, E. Zucchelli, C. De Luca, S. D’Avino, A. Gulotta, Raman microspectroscopy detection and characterisation of microplastics in human breastmilk, Polymers (Basel). 14 (2022) 2700.
[12]	H. Yadav, S. Sethulekshmi, A. Shriwastav, Estimation of microplastic exposure via the composite sampling of drinking water, respirable air, and cooked food from Mumbai, India, Environ. Res. 214 (2022) 113735. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.113735
[13]	D. B. Daniel, P. M. Ashraf, S. N. Thomas, Microplastics in the edible and inedible tissues of pelagic fishes sold for human consumption in Kerala, India, Environmental Pollution 266 (2020) 115365. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115365
[14]	R. Vittal, S. Xavier, M. Mohan, A. Chakraborty, G. Chakraborty, Detection and Characterisation of Microplastics in Food Grade Salts in India, Journal of Health and Allied Sciences NU (2026).
[15]	A. Vidyasakar, S. Krishnakumar, K. S. Kumar, K. Neelavannan, S. Anbalagan, K. Kasilingam, S. Srinivasalu, P. Saravanan, S. Kamaraj, N. S. Magesh, Microplastic contamination in edible sea salt from the largest salt-producing states of India, Mar. Pollut. Bull. 171 (2021) 112728. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112728
[16]	M. Gupta, P. Sehrawat, G. Gupta, N. Singhal, S. K. Kansal, Detection and quantification of microplastics in milk from Chandigarh, India: a pilot study highlighting SFEC-based spectral validation, Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A 43 (2026) 594–614. https://doi.org/10.1080/19440049.2026.2628941
[17]	R. Kiruba, M. Preethi, R. Aganasteen, M. Rithick Raj, C. Hannah Thabitha, P. Monica, J. Sakthivel, C. Levince, I. Naseera Banu, Identification of microplastics as emerging contaminant in branded milk of Tamil Nadu State, India, Asian J. Biol. Life Sci 11 (2022) 181.
[18]	K. Raghunathan, D. Headey, A. Herforth, Affordability of nutritious diets in rural India, Food Policy 99 (2021) 101982. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2020.101982
[19]	S. Kumari, K. Singh, V. Sangwan, A. Choudhary, Food Purchasing Pattern in Rural Family of Haryana State, India, Advances in Research on Teaching 24 (2023) 120–125.
[20]	G. K. ShArmA, Consumption pattern of selected vegetables at five sites in Delhi NCR region, Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 90 (2020) 1593–1598.
[21]	R. B. Aydın, A. Yozukmaz, İ. Şener, F. Temiz, D. Giannetto, Occurrence of microplastics in most consumed fruits and vegetables from Turkey and public risk assessment for consumers,. 13 (2023) 1686.
[22]	L. Chidewe, Emerging Contaminants in Potatoes: Occurrence of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Microplastics and Heavy Metals, Potato Res. 68 (2025) 4445–4465. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11540-025-09925-2
[23]	Q. Liu, Z. Chen, Y. Chen, F. Yang, W. Yao, Y. Xie, Microplastics contamination in eggs: Detection, occurrence and status, Food Chem. 397 (2022) 133771. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.133771
[24]	S. S. Bristi, R. Islam, Microplastics in poultry: Sources, bioaccumulation and human health consequences, Poult. Sci. 105 (2026) 106387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2026.106387
[25]	R. H. Setyobudi, S. Anwar, I. Iswahyudi, S. Husen, D. Damat, M. P. Garfansa, P. G. Adinurani, M. Mel, T. Liwang, R. Aprilianti, Identification and quantification of microplastics contamination in potato from Malang Raya, Indonesia, in: BIO Web Conf., EDP Sciences, 2024: p. 00036.
[26]	Z. Sobhani, Y. Lei, Y. Tang, L. Wu, X. Zhang, R. Naidu, M. Megharaj, C. Fang, Microplastics generated when opening plastic packaging, Sci. Rep. 10 (2020) 4841. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-61146-4
[27]	G. Sharma, C. Ghosh, B. Singh, Impact of Microplastic Contamination in Compost on Wheat Crop Growth: A Study of Bread and Durum Wheat Varieties, in: V. Kumar, P. Singh, S. Kumar, A. Kumar Singh (Eds.), Microplastics Pollution: A Threat to Biosphere, Springer Nature Switzerland, Cham, 2025: pp. 197–225. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-99774-7_7
[28]	J. Zhang, Z. Li, X. Zhou, W. Ding, X. Wang, M. Zhao, H. Li, G. Zou, Y. Chen, Long-term application of organic compost is the primary contributor to microplastic pollution of soils in a wheat–maize rotation, Science of The Total Environment 866 (2023) 161123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161123
[29]	S. Aysha, M. B. Sultan, Md. A. R. Bhuiyan, M. Toha, R. T. Ria, Do we unknowingly eat breakfast that contains microplastics? Unveiling the microplastic contamination in commercial flour, Food and Humanity 3 (2024) 100333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foohum.2024.100333
[30]	E. Trabia, H. Ismail, S. Aborhyem, Studying the Safety of Instant Noodles Sold in Egyptian Hypermarkets, Curr. Appl. Sci. Technol. (2020) 440–452.
[31]	B. Basaran, Z. Özçifçi, E. D. Kanbur, H. T. Akçay, S. Gül, Y. Bektaş, Ü. Aytan, Microplastics in honey from Türkiye: Occurrence, characteristic, human exposure, and risk assessment, Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 135 (2024) 106646. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2024.106646
[32]	K. Katsara, Z. Viskadourakis, E. Alissandrakis, G. Kenanakis, V. M. Papadakis, Microplastic Migration from Plastic Packaging into Honey, Microplastics 4 (2025) 90.
[33]	M. Bharath K, S. S, U. Natesan, R. Ayyamperumal, N. Kalam S, A. S, S. K, A. C, Microplastics as an emerging threat to the freshwater ecosystems of Veeranam lake in south India: A multidimensional approach, Chemosphere 264 (2021) 128502. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128502

Cite This Article

Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Paliwal, P. T. (2026). Estimation of Dietary Microplastic Ingestion: Empirical Analysis for Delhi-NCR. Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences, 14(5), 375-387. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.21

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Paliwal, P. T. Estimation of Dietary Microplastic Ingestion: Empirical Analysis for Delhi-NCR. J. Food Nutr. Sci. 2026, 14(5), 375-387. doi: 10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.21

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Paliwal PT. Estimation of Dietary Microplastic Ingestion: Empirical Analysis for Delhi-NCR. J Food Nutr Sci. 2026;14(5):375-387. doi: 10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.21

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.21,
  author = {Paridhi Tyagi Paliwal},
  title = {Estimation of Dietary Microplastic Ingestion: Empirical Analysis for Delhi-NCR},
  journal = {Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences},
  volume = {14},
  number = {5},
  pages = {375-387},
  doi = {10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.21},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.21},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jfns.20261405.21},
  abstract = {Microplastics (MPs) are increasingly detected in food products and may contribute to human exposure through daily dietary consumption. However, information on dietary MP exposure in Delhi-NCR, India, remains limited. This study aimed to investigate MP contamination in commonly consumed food items and assess their potential contribution to dietary exposure among residents of Delhi-NCR. An online survey involving 175 participants was conducted to determine the consumption frequency of eight food items: potato, egg, apple, potato chips, whole wheat flour, instant noodles, honey, and chicken. Food samples were analyzed using acetone-assisted extraction and compound light microscopy at 10× and 40× magnification. Estimated dietary exposure was assessed by combining measured MP concentrations with reported consumption frequencies and standard serving sizes. MP concentrations varied across the analyzed food items, ranging from 0 particles g-1 in glass-packaged honey to 15 particles g-1 in whole wheat flour. Whole wheat flour exhibited the highest MP concentration and was the most frequently consumed food item among the participants. Potato chips and instant noodles also showed relatively high MP concentrations, whereas honey showed no detected MPs in the analyzed sample. These findings indicate that commonly consumed staple foods may represent important contributors to dietary MP exposure in Delhi-NCR. The study highlights the need for routine monitoring of MPs in staple foods, improved contamination-control measures during food production and processing, and further research using polymer-confirmation techniques to strengthen the assessment of dietary MP exposure in India.},
 year = {2026}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Estimation of Dietary Microplastic Ingestion: Empirical Analysis for Delhi-NCR
AU  - Paridhi Tyagi Paliwal
Y1  - 2026/10/29
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.21
DO  - 10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.21
T2  - Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences
JF  - Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences
JO  - Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences
SP  - 375
EP  - 387
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-7293
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.21
AB  - Microplastics (MPs) are increasingly detected in food products and may contribute to human exposure through daily dietary consumption. However, information on dietary MP exposure in Delhi-NCR, India, remains limited. This study aimed to investigate MP contamination in commonly consumed food items and assess their potential contribution to dietary exposure among residents of Delhi-NCR. An online survey involving 175 participants was conducted to determine the consumption frequency of eight food items: potato, egg, apple, potato chips, whole wheat flour, instant noodles, honey, and chicken. Food samples were analyzed using acetone-assisted extraction and compound light microscopy at 10× and 40× magnification. Estimated dietary exposure was assessed by combining measured MP concentrations with reported consumption frequencies and standard serving sizes. MP concentrations varied across the analyzed food items, ranging from 0 particles g-1 in glass-packaged honey to 15 particles g-1 in whole wheat flour. Whole wheat flour exhibited the highest MP concentration and was the most frequently consumed food item among the participants. Potato chips and instant noodles also showed relatively high MP concentrations, whereas honey showed no detected MPs in the analyzed sample. These findings indicate that commonly consumed staple foods may represent important contributors to dietary MP exposure in Delhi-NCR. The study highlights the need for routine monitoring of MPs in staple foods, improved contamination-control measures during food production and processing, and further research using polymer-confirmation techniques to strengthen the assessment of dietary MP exposure in India.
VL  - 14
IS  - 5
ER  -

Copy | Download

Author Information

Paridhi Tyagi Paliwal

Department of Science, G. D. Goenka Signature School, Gurugram, India

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0009-0009-4547-2419

Download PDF

Submit an Article

Sections

Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Paliwal, P. T. (2026). Estimation of Dietary Microplastic Ingestion: Empirical Analysis for Delhi-NCR. Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences, 14(5), 375-387. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.21

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Paliwal, P. T. Estimation of Dietary Microplastic Ingestion: Empirical Analysis for Delhi-NCR. J. Food Nutr. Sci. 2026, 14(5), 375-387. doi: 10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.21

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Paliwal PT. Estimation of Dietary Microplastic Ingestion: Empirical Analysis for Delhi-NCR. J Food Nutr Sci. 2026;14(5):375-387. doi: 10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.21

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.21,
  author = {Paridhi Tyagi Paliwal},
  title = {Estimation of Dietary Microplastic Ingestion: Empirical Analysis for Delhi-NCR},
  journal = {Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences},
  volume = {14},
  number = {5},
  pages = {375-387},
  doi = {10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.21},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.21},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jfns.20261405.21},
  abstract = {Microplastics (MPs) are increasingly detected in food products and may contribute to human exposure through daily dietary consumption. However, information on dietary MP exposure in Delhi-NCR, India, remains limited. This study aimed to investigate MP contamination in commonly consumed food items and assess their potential contribution to dietary exposure among residents of Delhi-NCR. An online survey involving 175 participants was conducted to determine the consumption frequency of eight food items: potato, egg, apple, potato chips, whole wheat flour, instant noodles, honey, and chicken. Food samples were analyzed using acetone-assisted extraction and compound light microscopy at 10× and 40× magnification. Estimated dietary exposure was assessed by combining measured MP concentrations with reported consumption frequencies and standard serving sizes. MP concentrations varied across the analyzed food items, ranging from 0 particles g-1 in glass-packaged honey to 15 particles g-1 in whole wheat flour. Whole wheat flour exhibited the highest MP concentration and was the most frequently consumed food item among the participants. Potato chips and instant noodles also showed relatively high MP concentrations, whereas honey showed no detected MPs in the analyzed sample. These findings indicate that commonly consumed staple foods may represent important contributors to dietary MP exposure in Delhi-NCR. The study highlights the need for routine monitoring of MPs in staple foods, improved contamination-control measures during food production and processing, and further research using polymer-confirmation techniques to strengthen the assessment of dietary MP exposure in India.},
 year = {2026}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Estimation of Dietary Microplastic Ingestion: Empirical Analysis for Delhi-NCR
AU  - Paridhi Tyagi Paliwal
Y1  - 2026/10/29
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.21
DO  - 10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.21
T2  - Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences
JF  - Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences
JO  - Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences
SP  - 375
EP  - 387
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-7293
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfns.20261405.21
AB  - Microplastics (MPs) are increasingly detected in food products and may contribute to human exposure through daily dietary consumption. However, information on dietary MP exposure in Delhi-NCR, India, remains limited. This study aimed to investigate MP contamination in commonly consumed food items and assess their potential contribution to dietary exposure among residents of Delhi-NCR. An online survey involving 175 participants was conducted to determine the consumption frequency of eight food items: potato, egg, apple, potato chips, whole wheat flour, instant noodles, honey, and chicken. Food samples were analyzed using acetone-assisted extraction and compound light microscopy at 10× and 40× magnification. Estimated dietary exposure was assessed by combining measured MP concentrations with reported consumption frequencies and standard serving sizes. MP concentrations varied across the analyzed food items, ranging from 0 particles g-1 in glass-packaged honey to 15 particles g-1 in whole wheat flour. Whole wheat flour exhibited the highest MP concentration and was the most frequently consumed food item among the participants. Potato chips and instant noodles also showed relatively high MP concentrations, whereas honey showed no detected MPs in the analyzed sample. These findings indicate that commonly consumed staple foods may represent important contributors to dietary MP exposure in Delhi-NCR. The study highlights the need for routine monitoring of MPs in staple foods, improved contamination-control measures during food production and processing, and further research using polymer-confirmation techniques to strengthen the assessment of dietary MP exposure in India.
VL  - 14
IS  - 5
ER  -

Copy | Download