Earth Science News
FROTH AND BUBBLE
Chewing gum releases microplastics into mouth: researchers
Chewing gum releases microplastics into mouth: researchers
By Daniel Lawler
Paris (AFP) Mar 25, 2025

Chewing gum releases hundreds of tiny plastic pieces straight into people's mouths, researchers said on Tuesday, also warning of the pollution created by the rubber-based sweet.

The small study comes as researchers have increasingly been discovering small shards of plastic called microplastics throughout the world, from the tops of mountains to the bottom of the ocean -- and even in the air we breathe.

They have also been discovered microplastics riddled throughout human bodies -- including inside our lungs, blood and brains -- sparking fears about the potential effect this could be having on health.

"I don't want to alarm people," Sanjay Mohanty, the lead researcher behind the new study, told AFP.

There is no evidence directly showing that microplastics are harmful to human health, said Mohanty of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

The new pilot study instead sought to illustrate yet another little-researched way that these mostly invisible plastic pieces enter our bodies -- chewing gum.

Lisa Lowe, a PhD student at UCLA, chewed seven pieces each of 10 brands of gum; Then the researchers ran a chemical analysis on her saliva.

They found that a gramme of gum (0.04 ounces) released an average of 100 microplastic fragments, though some shed more than 600. The average weight of a stick of gum is around 1.5 grammes.

People who chew around 180 pieces of gum a year could be ingesting roughly 30,000 microplastics, the researchers said.

This pales in comparison to the many other ways that humans ingest microplastics, Mohanty emphasised.

For example, other researchers estimated last year that a litre (34 fluid ounces) of water in a plastic bottle contained an average of 240,000 microplastics.

- 'Tyres, plastic bags and bottles' -

The most common chewing gum sold in supermarkets is called synthetic gum, which contains petroleum-based polymers to get that chewy effect, the researchers said.

However packaging does not list any plastics in the ingredients, simply using the words "gum-based".

"Nobody will tell you the ingredients," Mohanty said.

The researchers tested five brands of synthetic gum and five of natural gum, which use plant-based polymers such as tree sap.

"It was surprising that we found microplastics were abundant in both," Lowe told AFP.

The gum shed almost all of the microplastics during the first eight minutes of chewing, she added.

David Jones, a researcher at the UK's University of Portsmouth not involved in the study, told AFP that manufacturers should be forced to give more specific ingredients than just "gum-based".

Jones said he was surprised that the researchers found certain plastics not known to be in gum, suggesting they could have possibly come from another source.

But the overall findings were "not at all surprising", he added.

People tend to "freak out a little bit" when told that the building blocks of chewing gum were similar to what is found "in car tyres, plastic bags and bottles", Jones said.

Lowe also warned about the plastic pollution from chewing gum -- particularly when people "spit it out onto the sidewalk".

The study, which has been submitted to a peer-reviewed journal but not yet published, was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Diego.

The world's biggest chewing gum manufacturer, Wrigley, did not respond to AFP's request for comment.

Related Links
Our Polluted World and Cleaning It Up

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
FROTH AND BUBBLE
44 people on trial in Vietnam over illegal sand mining
Hanoi (AFP) Mar 24, 2025
More than 40 people went on trial in Vietnam Monday over illegal sand mining in the Mekong Delta, state media said, as concern mounts over the environmental impact of overexploitation. A former senior provincial official who took a $300,000 bribe to allow mining in the area is among 44 people facing justice at the Ho Chi Minh City court, in the country's largest-ever illegal sand mining case, Lao Dong newspaper said. Mining sand - mainly for concrete used in construction - has boomed in Vietna ... read more

FROTH AND BUBBLE
One dead, two missing in Ecuador bridge collapse; N. Macedonia buries victims of deadly nightclub fire

Indonesia passes bill allowing military in more govt roles

UN chief condemns 'intolerable' suffering in Gaza

Milei pledges funds for deluge-stricken Argentine city

FROTH AND BUBBLE
Inner space technology push for next-gen European space microchips

Prospect of copper mine reopening revives tensions in Panama

EU unveils critical material projects to cut China dependence

Young Chinese women find virtual love in 'Deepspace'

FROTH AND BUBBLE
Water-rich Brazil becoming ever drier, report warns

US refuses water request for Mexico in new battleline

In poor areas of Peru's capital, running water is a dream

Next-Generation Water Satellite Maps Seafloor From Space

FROTH AND BUBBLE
World's glacier mass shrank again in 2024, says UN

In US Northwest, South Cascade is where glacier science grew up

How melting glaciers affect everyday lives

'It was beautiful': Mount Kenya's glaciers melting away

FROTH AND BUBBLE
Enhancing agrivoltaic synergies through optimized tracking strategies

Canada canola farmers squeezed by trade wars on two fronts

Chinese tariffs on Canadian agricultural products kick in

Dramatic increase in research funding needed to counter productivity slowdown in farming

FROTH AND BUBBLE
Japan panel drafts response plan for Mount Fuji eruption

Flights cancelled after Indonesia volcano eruption

Mozambique cyclone cluster raises fears of new norm

Florence averts disaster thanks to key floodgate

FROTH AND BUBBLE
Sudan army says retakes presidential palace from RSF

Ugandan army attacks journalists covering election: RSF

13 soldiers killed in jihadist attacks in Niger: army

S.Sudan carries out air strike against civilians: local official

FROTH AND BUBBLE
Beijing simplifies marriages to encourage Chinese to wed

When did human language emerge?

Study reveals how rising temperatures could lead to population crashes

Earliest evidence of human habitation in rainforests uncovered

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.