A UCLA study found that chewing gum releases hundreds of microplastics into saliva per piece, regardless of whether it’s synthetic or natural.
Researchers tested multiple brands and discovered that a single piece could release up to 3,000 plastic particles, with 94% released within eight minutes.
The study identified common plastic polymers like polyethylene and polyolefins in both gum types, suggesting significant microplastic exposure.
Plastic is everywhere. And many products we use in everyday life, such as cutting boards, clothes and cleaning sponges, can expose people to tiny, micrometer-wide plastic particles called microplastics. Now, chewing gum could be added to the list.
In a pilot study, researchers found that chewing gum can release hundreds to thousands of microplastics per piece into saliva and potentially be ingested.
The researchers will present their results at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS Spring 2025 is being held March 23-27; it features about 12,000 presentations on a range of science topics.
“Our goal is not to alarm anybody,” says Sanjay Mohanty, the project’s principal investigator and an engineering professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
“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.”
