UCLA researchers say gum significantly increases plastic exposure
of ConsumerAffairsGenerations of Americans have grown up using chewing gum, but a new pilot study claims that both synthetic and natural gum can release hundreds to thousands of microplastic particles into saliva, potentially leading to ingestion.
The findings, presented at the American Chemical Society Spring 2025 meeting, raise concerns about an overlooked source of microplastic exposure.
Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles led by engineering professor Sanjay Mohanty, conducted the study to quantify the amount of microplastics released from chewing gum during mastication.
Our goal is not to alarm anybody, Mohanty said in a press statement. Scientists dont 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 thats what we wanted to examine here.
A total of 10 brands of gum were tested
The study involved testing five brands of synthetic gum and five brands of natural gum, all commercially available. A single individual chewed each piece of gum for four minutes, with saliva samples collected every 30 seconds and a final mouth rinse. In a separate experiment, samples were collected over 20 minutes to observe the microplastic release rate.
Lisa Lowe, a graduate student at UCLA and the studys presenter, found an average of 100 microplastics released per gram of gum. Some pieces released as many as 600 microplastics per gram. Given that a typical piece of gum weighs between two and six grams, a single piece could release up to 3,000 plastic particles.
Surprisingly, both synthetic and natural gums had similar amounts of microplastics released when we chewed them, Lowe noted. The researchers identified polymers such as polyolefins, polyethylene terephthalates, polyacrylamides, and polystyrenes in both types of gum, with polyolefins being the most abundant.
30,000 microplastics per year
The study estimated that an average person chewing 160 to 180 sticks of gum per year could ingest approximately 30,000 microplastics, significantly increasing the overall annual intake of microplastics.
The release of microplastics was attributed to the abrasive action of chewing, rather than enzymatic breakdown by saliva. The study found that 94% of the plastic particles were released within the first eight minutes of chewing.
Lowe suggested that chewing a single piece of gum for a longer duration, rather than frequently replacing it, could potentially reduce microplastic exposure.
While the health effects of microplastic ingestion are still under investigation, researchers said this study highlights chewing gum as a significant and previously underreported source of potential microplastic exposure.
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Posted: 2025-03-21 11:38:57
