Overview

• A UCLA study presented at the American Chemical Society's spring meeting shows chewing one piece of gum can release hundreds to thousands of microplastic particles into saliva.
• Both synthetic and natural gums release comparable amounts of microplastics, with most particles shed within the first two minutes of chewing.
• Researchers estimate that regular gum chewers could ingest approximately 30,000 microplastics annually, adding to existing exposure from food, water, and air.
• The study identified polymers such as polyolefins and polyethylene terephthalates in both gum types, highlighting a lack of transparency in product composition.
• The health impacts of microplastic ingestion remain unclear, but researchers emphasize the need for further investigation and caution against improper gum disposal to reduce environmental pollution.