We’ve all enjoyed the simple pleasure of a stick of gum, haven’t we? A quick way to freshen breath, a little something to keep our mouths busy during a long drive or while we’re waiting.
Many of us have carried this small, seemingly harmless habit for years. But what if that familiar comfort held a hidden surprise?
A recent study raises questions about something we might inadvertently introduce into our bodies with each chew.
A startling pilot study has revealed that chewing just a single piece of gum can release hundreds to thousands of microplastics into our saliva, raising concerns about our exposure to these tiny pollutants.
The study, which is currently undergoing peer review and is set to be presented at the American Chemical Society’s biannual meeting in San Diego, aims to be published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters later this year.
Sanjay Mohanty, lead researcher and associate professor at the Samueli School of Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles, said the study is not intended to cause panic but to shed light on the pervasive nature of microplastics in our lives.
‘Scientists don’t know if microplastics are unsafe to us or not. There are no human trials. But we know we are exposed to plastics in everyday life, and that’s what we wanted to examine here,’ he said.
Microplastics are tiny fragments of polymers, ranging in size from less than 5mm to 1 micrometre, with nanoplastics being even smaller. These particles are known for their durability and flexibility, so they are commonly found in synthetic plastics.
Chewing gum, for its part, often contains these synthetic or natural polymers to enhance texture, elasticity, and flavor retention.
The concern arises from the fact that microplastics can enter our bodies through ingestion and inhalation, and have been found in various body parts and fluids, including blood, lungs, placenta, brain, and testicles.
This has prompted scientists to investigate other potential sources of microplastic ingestion and their concentrations, with chewing gum being a prime candidate due to its unique use of plastic polymer as an ingredient.
‘Chewing gum is one of the foods we chose because it is the only food where plastic polymer is used as an ingredient. Other foods are contaminated with microplastics because of how they are processed and packaged,’ Mohanty said.
Retrieving microplastics from gum
This study is the first to examine or compare commercially used microplastics in chewing gum. The study analysed 10 popular gum brands in the United States (US), half made from synthetic materials and the other half from natural ingredients.
The research team collected saliva from a human participant who chewed the gum for four minutes, with samples taken every 30 seconds.
The participant then rinsed their mouth with highly purified water to capture any remaining microplastics. This process was repeated seven times for each gum, with some gums chewed for up to 20 minutes to determine the relationship between chewing time and microplastic release.
The findings were eye-opening: on average, 1 gram of chewing gum released about 100 microplastics, with some brands releasing as many as 637 microplastics per gram.
Considering that a typical stick of gum can weigh from 1 gram to several grams, the potential for microplastic ingestion is significant. Moreover, 94 per cent of these microplastics were released within the first eight minutes of chewing.
Interestingly, the study indicated that there isn’t much difference between synthetic and natural chewing gums regarding the release of microplastics. On average, synthetic gum contained 104 microplastics per gram, while natural gum had slightly fewer, at 96.
Both types of gum were found to primarily release four kinds of synthetic plastics: polyolefins, polyterephthalates (like polyethylene terephthalate), polyacrylamides, and polystyrenes.
According to Tasha Stoiber, a senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group, these materials are commonly found in various everyday plastic products.
Microplastic release was not unexpected
David Jones, a teaching fellow at the School of the Environment and Life Sciences at the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom, said, ‘ The release of microplastics is not unexpected.’
He explained, ‘If we subject any type of plastic to stress, be it heat, friction, sunlight, seawater, or vigorous mastication, we know that microplastics will be released from the plastic material.’
‘We inhale, ingest and drink something like 250,000 plastic particles a year without trying..… But at least we now have some robust data, and it is a good starting point for further research.’
On the other hand, the National Confectioners Association said ‘gum is safe to enjoy as it has been for more than 100 years,’ with food safety being a top priority for US confectionery companies.
Potential effects on the human body are unknown
The study found that gum microplastics are roughly the thickness of a piece of paper or a human hair. However, the methods used in the research could not detect particles smaller than 20 micrometers, which means the actual amount of microplastics released might be higher than reported.
It remains unclear how synthetic polymers ended up in natural gum products. Oliver Jones, a chemistry professor at RMIT University in Melbourne, noted that the unexpected findings could arise from manufacturers using polymers inappropriately, contamination during laboratory testing, or measurement errors.
According to Jones, some polymers, like polyterephthalates commonly found in plastic water bottles, have been detected in synthetic gums but are not typically associated with these products.
While some regulatory agencies believe there’s no reason to worry about microplastics in our food and water due to a lack of evidence showing they cause harm, the study highlights the environmental issues related to improperly discarded chewing gum.
Experts emphasise this is an important consideration, even if we don’t fully understand the potential effects on human health.
‘This is totally the wrong approach. We should be taking the precautionary approach and assume that they do. We need to be investing in research to understand how this will impact our health now so that we can start to mitigate the consequences.’
What are your thoughts on this revelation about chewing gum? Have you ever thought about how our daily habits impact the environment and our health? Let’s talk about it! Share your insights below!
Also read: Why do plastic containers always come out wet from the dishwasher? Science has the answer
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