Chewing gum could be source of microplastic exposure

A study found that chewing gum could release microplastics into the saliva.

In a study presented at the American Chemical Society Spring 2025 Meeting & Exposition, researchers assessed 10 brands of synthetic and natural chewing gums. They collected saliva samples every 30 seconds among participants who chewed each piece of gum for four minutes. An additional analysis was conducted in which the participants chewed the gum for over 20 minutes.

The researchers discovered that both synthetic and natural chewing gums released between 100 and 600 microplastic particles per gram — totaling up to 3,000 microplastic particles into the saliva per piece of chewing gum. A majority of the microplastics transferred into the saliva within the first eight minutes of chewing as a result of mechanical abrasion. The researchers identified several types of polymers in both the synthetic and natural chewing gums, including polyolefins, polyethylene terephthalates, polyacrylamides and polystyrenes.

The findings could have implications for daily exposure to microplastics. The researchers concluded that individuals can reduce their exposure to microplastics by chewing just one piece of gum for longer rather than chewing multiple pieces of gum over the same period.

Read more: ACS Spring 2025 Meeting & Exposition

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