Chewing gum isn’t essentially the healthiest of habits, nevertheless it actually 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 might 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.
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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 might enhance your publicity. And now, we are able to add chewing gum to the checklist of peculiar sources of microplastics.
New Analysis Reveals Chewing Gum is Riddled with Plastic
Researchers from the UCLA Samueli Faculty of Engineering lately examined 10 standard manufacturers of chewing gum, discovering {that a} single gram might launch a mean of 100 microplastics into the chewer’s saliva. Bigger items of gum have been discovered to launch as much as 3,000 plastic particles — 94% of which have been launched in the course of the first eight minutes of chewing.
Whereas these outcomes sound fairly surprising, they’re no shock for those who really take into account what goes into this seemingly innocent deal with: a less-than-innocent ingredient known as polyethylene.
What Is Polyethylene?
Polyethylene is a thermoplastic polymer that’s recognized for its versatility. It’s gentle, low cost to supply, and has some significantly useful qualities — it’s proof against chemical substances and moisture, and has electrical insulation properties.
Producers make nice use of this versatility, profiting from it in all the pieces from buying baggage to bottles of detergent and vehicle gasoline tanks. It’s additionally utilized in Ziploc baggage, which a proposed class-action lawsuit is at present alleging shouldn’t be microwaved or frozen as a result of potential launch of microplastics. Actually, it’s probably the most broadly used plastic on the earth5. 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 apprehensive 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 have been launched no matter the kind of gum.
Different potential plastics in chewing gum embody 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 mix 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 growing most cancers, in line with a 2023 analysis assessment in Yonsei Medical Journal7.
Whereas microplastics are exhausting to keep away from nowadays, there are nonetheless sure steps customers can take to scale back publicity as a lot as potential (spoiler: microplastics in gum in all probability aren’t the worst offender). Lowering reliance on plastic storage containers and utensils is one nice option to preserve from including extra plastic into your life, and so is reducing again on all the pieces from plastic water bottles to PTFE nonstick cookware.
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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/website/plastics-toxic-additives
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10151227/
