A pilot study, soon to be peer-reviewed and published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters, found that chewing one piece of gum releases hundreds to thousands of microplastics into saliva. The study analyzed ten popular US gum brands, half synthetic and half natural.
Researchers collected saliva samples from a participant every 30 seconds during a four-minute chewing period, along with rinse samples. This process was repeated seven times for each gum type. Some gums were chewed for 20 minutes to assess microplastic release over time.
Analysis revealed that 1 gram of gum released an average of 100 microplastics, with some releasing up to 637. 94% of microplastics were released within the first eight minutes. Both synthetic and natural gums released similar amounts of microplastics, primarily polyolefins, polyterephthalates, polyacrylamides, and polystyrenes.
Experts note that while the study doesn't prove harm, it highlights another source of microplastic ingestion. Concerns exist regarding the lack of transparency in gum composition and the potential underestimation of microplastic and nanoplastic release due to limitations in the study's analysis methods.
The study underscores the need for further research on the health effects of microplastics and the environmental impact of discarded chewing gum.