What if your daily chewing gum became a secret horror story about sucking microplastics into your body and into the environment? Maybe that piece of some fresh flavor has been doing more harm than good.
Yes, gum microplastics are real. It is time to face the grim reality on World Environment Day: chewing gum is plastic, and we have been chewing synthetic polymers for decades, albeit unwittingly.
Recent reports by environmental agencies have exposed how modern gum, derived from a rubbery base called polyvinyl acetate (the very same thing that is in glue), sends microplastics into the human body and the environment. So let’s uncover the truth of your favorite chewing style and the health risks posed by plastic in chewing gum.
Is Chewing Gum Plastic?
Most people believe that gum consists of natural substances such as chicle (a traditional tree sap used in gums). However, today’s chewing gum consists mostly of synthetic rubber, polyethylene, and polyvinyl acetate, all basically petroleum-based plastics. These substances give one the chew, but they simultaneously go down as one of the most disguised microplastics.
During chewing, very small plastic particles break off into saliva. Some get swallowed, while some might sit in the mouth for some time raising concerns about its long-term exposure.
Gum Microplastic Study: What Research Reveals
Recent studies have stressed how chewing gum increases microplastics pollution:
- One microplastic study into gum stated that a single piece of gum might release thousands of microplastic particles with time.
- A research study suggests that when discarded gums get broken down by environmental factors, they lead to terrestrial and aquatic microplastic contamination.
- Scientists have detected synthetic polymers from gum in wastewater, implying that gum constitutes a pollutant of persistence.
These results generated few blinking questions about the environmental and health consequences of such a seemingly benign chewing gum.
Plastic in Chewing Gum Health Risks
Since the studies are still unfolding, those associated with gum-derived microplastics for health issues could be:
- Digestive Problems: Microplastics ingested could destroy a healthy gut.
- Chemical Leach: The plastics in gums are usually those containing additives such as plasticizers; these could lead to endocrine disruption.
- Oral Health Risks: Possibly microplastics in saliva are interacting with oral bacteria in ways that have yet to be fully uncovered.
While unarguably scarier, studies directed at uncovering details might help. Meanwhile, that plastic can appear in an oral product should be alarming.
What You Can Do
If you fear that there is plastic hidden in chewing gum:
- Go for natural options like chicle-based gums or biodegradable gums.
- Read labels carefully and avoid brands listing synthetic resins or polymers.
- Support regulation for transparency of gum ingredients and sustainable alternatives.
- Dispose of properly — never spit gum on the ground. It not only is littering; it is plastic waste.
Conclusion
Next time you reach for a stick of gum, consider that you may be chewing on plastic. Growing evidence of chewing-gum microplastics shows another way plastic pollution is infiltrating our daily lives. By choosing natural alternatives and raising awareness, we can lessen our plastic footprints—every chew makes a difference.
Leave a Reply