Chewing Gum Can Release Thousands of Microplastic Particles into Saliva

Chewing Gum Can Release Thousands of Microplastic Particles into Saliva is easier to approach with a clear overview and reliable steps. This guide organizes the essential information, highlights practical details, and explains what to check along the way.

Chewing Gum and Exposure to Microplastics

Chewing gum is made of flavorings, sweeteners, rubber base and other ingredients.

In "natural" chewing gum, a plant-derived polymer, such as tree resin, gives the gum its elasticity. A synthetic rubber base made from petroleum-based polymers (resin) is used for synthetic chewing gum.

Researchers tested five synthetic chewing gums along with five commercially available natural chewing gums.

In one part of the experiment, a person chewed seven pieces of gum from each brand to account for different chewing and saliva patterns. The person chewed the gum for four minutes and took saliva samples every 30 seconds. They then rinsed their mouth with clean water. The saliva samples were then combined into one sample.

In another experiment, saliva samples were collected every 20 minutes. The researchers then measured the amount of microplastics in the saliva samples.

The team of researchers initially suspected that synthetic forms of chewing gum would contain more microplastics, but they were surprised to find that natural chewing gum contained similar amounts of microplastics.

' We were not surprised to find microplastics in the chewing gums but were surprised to find them in equal amounts in both synthetic and organic gums. We assumed that organic gums should have less than synthetic gums… We were puzzled about the source of microplastics in them (natural gums) ', said Mohanty.

The impact of microplastics on human health remains a topic of research concern. A 2024 review found that microplastics are suspected of harming human respiratory, digestive, and reproductive health, and may also be linked to colon and lung cancer.

Should I Stop Chewing Gum?

This article points out that both natural and synthetic gums contain similar amounts of microplastics, so in that case it probably doesn't matter much which one you chew. It's best to stop or at least reduce the frequency of chewing gum, especially for children.

The more you chew, the more microplastics you are exposed to. Which we know are linked to a number of health effects, then not chewing gum would be the best option if people want to minimize their exposure to microplastics.

Final Thoughts

The most reliable way to handle chewing gum can release thousands of microplastic particles into saliva is to follow the process in order, verify each important setting, and test the result before moving on. Use the guidance above as a practical reference, then adjust the details for your device, software version, or specific goal.