Chewing gum isn’t essentially the healthiest of habits, nevertheless it definitely appeared like a comparatively innocent vice… till now. A brand new research reveals that only one piece of chewing gum can shed 1000’s of microplastics into your saliva1.
At this level, it will be simpler to make an inventory of locations microplastics aren’t. Scientists have discovered these tiny particles of plastic in all places from oceans to ice caps2, within the leaves of crops and the air we breathe, and naturally, in our our bodies. Microplastics have been detected in amniotic fluid3, blood4, and even in our brains.
Need extra information on microplastics? Join the e-newsletter for extra well-researched, non-toxic dwelling steering and sensible wellness recommendation.
Whereas some sources of microplastic contamination are apparent, like plastic bottles and packaging, scientists have additionally discovered that one thing so simple as the teabag in your morning cuppa may enhance your publicity. And now, we will add chewing gum to the listing of unusual sources of microplastics.
New Analysis Reveals Chewing Gum is Riddled with Plastic
Researchers from the UCLA Samueli Faculty of Engineering not too long ago examined 10 in style manufacturers of chewing gum, discovering {that a} single gram may launch a mean of 100 microplastics into the chewer’s saliva. Bigger items of gum had been discovered to launch as much as 3,000 plastic particles — 94% of which had been launched through the first eight minutes of chewing.
Whereas these outcomes sound fairly surprising, they’re no shock in case you truly think about what goes into this seemingly innocent deal with: a less-than-innocent ingredient referred to as polyethylene.
What Is Polyethylene?
Polyethylene is a thermoplastic polymer that’s recognized for its versatility. It’s gentle, low cost to provide, and has some critically useful qualities — it’s immune to chemical compounds and moisture, and has electrical insulation properties.
Producers make nice use of this versatility, profiting from it in the whole lot from buying luggage to bottles of detergent and vehicle gasoline tanks. It’s additionally utilized in Ziploc luggage, which a proposed class-action lawsuit is presently alleging shouldn’t be microwaved or frozen because of the attainable launch of microplastics. In actual fact, it’s essentially the most extensively used plastic on the planet5. However what enterprise does it have in our chewing gum?
Sadly, most gum manufacturers depend on polyethylene to assist contribute to the product’s chewy texture. And it’s not simply artificial gum we have to be fearful about — all-natural manufacturers are responsible of releasing plastic, too. The UCLA researchers examined each artificial and pure chewing gums, discovering {that a} related variety of plastic particles had been launched no matter the kind of gum.
Different potential plastics in chewing gum embrace polyvinyl acetate, which is a typical ingredient in glue and mascara, or styrene-butadiene rubber, which you’ll discover in tires. (Scrumptious, no?)
The pervasiveness of microplastics is worrisome for extra causes than one. Plastics are made with a mixture of polymers and chemical components, a few of which might have devastating results on the setting and our planet’s delicate ecosystems6. Microplastics are additionally hazardous to human well being, with potential detrimental results on respiratory perform and hormone well being. Microplastic publicity may even enhance the danger of creating most cancers, in accordance with a 2023 analysis assessment in Yonsei Medical Journal7.
Whereas microplastics are arduous to keep away from nowadays, there are nonetheless sure steps customers can take to scale back publicity as a lot as attainable (spoiler: microplastics in gum in all probability aren’t the worst offender). Lowering reliance on plastic storage containers and utensils is one nice solution to hold from including extra plastic into your life, and so is reducing again on the whole lot from plastic water bottles to PTFE nonstick cookware.
Learn Extra on Natural Authority
Sources:
- https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/bursting-your-bubble-chewing-gum-releases-microplastics-into-your-saliva-ucla-research-shows
- https://www.innovations-report.com/agriculture-environment/ecology-the-environment-and-conservation/microplastics-found-in-europes-largest-ice-cap/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38382607/
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-81931-9
- https://www.britannica.com/science/polyethylene
- https://ipen.org/web site/plastics-toxic-additives
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10151227/
