Researchers have discovered that chewing gum releases hundreds of tiny plastic fragments directly into the mouths of consumers, adding to concerns about microplastic pollution.
The study, presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Diego, highlights yet another way these minute plastic particles find their way into the human body.
Microplastics, tiny shards of plastic, have been detected across the planet, from the peaks of mountains to the depths of the ocean, and even in the air we breathe. Scientists have also found them embedded in human lungs, blood, and even the brain, raising concerns about potential health risks.
Lead researcher Sanjay Mohanty from the University of California, Los Angeles told AFP, “I don’t want to alarm people.”
While no direct evidence links microplastics to adverse health effects, Mohanty’s team sought to examine how chewing gum contributes to their ingestion.
Microplastics Found in Chewed Gum
To investigate, UCLA PhD student Lisa Lowe chewed seven pieces each from 10 different gum brands.
The researchers then analyzed her saliva and found that a single gram of gum released an average of 100 microplastic fragments, some shedding as many as 600. Given that a typical stick of gum weighs around 1.5 grams, frequent chewers could be ingesting thousands of these tiny plastic particles annually.
“It was surprising that we found microplastics were abundant in both,” Lowe told AFP, referring to both synthetic and natural gum varieties tested in the study.
Most of these particles were released within the first eight minutes of chewing, she added.
While chewing gum contributes to microplastic exposure, Mohanty emphasized that it is not the primary source.
A separate study last year estimated that a liter of bottled water could contain around 240,000 microplastics, far surpassing the levels found in gum.
Hidden Plastics in Gum
Commercially available synthetic gum often contains petroleum-based polymers that create its chewy texture. However, product labels do not specify plastic content, instead using the vague term “gum-based.”
“Nobody will tell you the ingredients,” Mohanty noted.
The research team tested five synthetic and five natural gum brands. Surprisingly, even plant-based gums contained microplastics, though the source of these contaminants remains unclear.
David Jones, a researcher at the University of Portsmouth who was not involved in the study, believes that manufacturers should be required to disclose precise ingredients instead of using generic terms.
He also found it intriguing that the study detected plastics not typically associated with gum, suggesting possible contamination from external sources.
Still, the findings did not surprise him. “People tend to ‘freak out a little bit’ when told that the building blocks of chewing gum were similar to what is found ‘in car tyres, plastic bags and bottles,’” Jones said.
Beyond human ingestion, researchers also highlighted the environmental toll of discarded gum. “People spit it out onto the sidewalk,” Lowe warned, contributing to plastic pollution in urban areas.
The study, currently under peer review, raises further questions about everyday exposure to microplastics.
The world’s largest gum manufacturer, Wrigley, declined to comment on the findings.
