Maya Ellison
Chewing gum is one of the only foods that is made of plastic. A recent study by the American Chemical Society found that chewing gum can release hundreds to thousands of microplastics into saliva per piece. Both synthetic and natural gums were found to contain microplastics, with the highest amount being polyolefins, a type of plastic that includes polyethylene and polypropylene. While the long-term effects of exposure to microplastics are not yet known, initial evidence suggests potential health harms. Trident gum is a popular brand of chewing gum, so it is important to consider whether it contains plastic and what the implications are for human health.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Does Trident gum contain plastic? | Yes, chewing gum contains plastic. The ingredient known as "gum base" in the list of ingredients in chewing gum is largely made of polyvinyl acetate, a type of plastic. |
| Is plastic in chewing gum harmful? | The long-term effects of exposure to microplastics are not well understood, but emerging evidence suggests potential health harms. The FDA has evaluated the safety of many substances used to make up chewing gum bases, and has determined that 46 substances are safe. |
| How much plastic is released when chewing gum? | Researchers found that chewing gum can release hundreds to thousands of microplastics per piece into saliva and potentially be ingested. On average, 100 microplastics were released per gram of chewing gum, though some pieces released up to 600 microplastics per gram. |
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What You'll Learn
- Chewing gum contains plastic, releasing microplastics into saliva
- Trident gum may contain plastic, as FDA-approved gum bases can include plastic
- Plastic particles in gum are released through the act of chewing
- Natural gum contains plant-based polymers, which are also a type of plastic
- The long-term health effects of microplastics in gum are not yet known
Chewing gum contains plastic, releasing microplastics into saliva
Chewing gum is made with flavouring, sweeteners, a rubber base, and other ingredients. The rubber base, also known as the "gum base", is largely made of polyvinyl acetate, a type of plastic. This is what gives the gum its chewy texture. While natural gum bases use plant-based polymers such as chicle or tree sap, synthetic gum bases use petroleum-based polymers.
Both synthetic and natural gums contain plastic and release microplastics into saliva when chewed. A recent study found that chewing gum can release hundreds to thousands of microplastic particles per piece into saliva, which may then be ingested. The researchers measured an average of 100 microplastics released per gram of gum, with some individual pieces releasing up to 600 microplastics per gram. Given that a typical piece of gum weighs between 2 and 6 grams, a large piece of gum could release up to 3,000 plastic particles.
The study also found that both synthetic and natural gums released similar amounts of microplastics and contained the same types of polymers, the most abundant being polyolefins, which include polyethylene and polypropylene. This came as a surprise to the researchers, who had hypothesized that synthetic gums would release more microplastics due to their plastic base.
While the long-term effects of exposure to microplastics are not yet fully understood, there is emerging evidence of potential health harms. According to Tracey Woodruff, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UCSF who has studied the health impacts of microplastics, the fact that chewing gum contains microplastics is concerning because it adds to the existing microplastic exposure from other sources such as food, water, and plastic packaging.
It is worth noting that there are brands of chewing gum that do not contain plastic, and currently, there is no evidence that the plastic used in chewing gum is harmful. However, further research is needed to fully understand the potential risks associated with microplastic exposure from chewing gum.
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Trident gum may contain plastic, as FDA-approved gum bases can include plastic
Chewing gum is one of the only foods that contains plastic. A recent study found that chewing gum can release hundreds to thousands of microplastics into the saliva, which may then be ingested. This is true of both synthetic and natural gums, although synthetic gums, which use a petroleum-based polymer, were expected to contain more microplastics. The study found that both types of gum contained the same polymers: polyolefins, polyethylene terephthalates, polyacrylamides, and polystyrenes. The most abundant of these polymers were polyolefins, which include polyethylene and polypropylene.
While the long-term effects of exposure to microplastics are not well understood, there is emerging evidence of potential health harms. However, it is important to note that the presence of plastic in gum does not necessarily mean it is harmful. The act of chewing is what causes the release of microplastics, as it is abrasive enough to make pieces flake off.
If you wish to reduce your exposure to microplastics from gum, it is recommended to chew one piece for longer rather than chewing multiple pieces for shorter periods.
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Plastic particles in gum are released through the act of chewing
Chewing gum is one of the only foods that is made of plastic. The "gum base" listed in the ingredients is largely made of polyvinyl acetate, a type of plastic. Chewing gum can release hundreds to thousands of microplastics into the saliva that may then be ingested.
In a pilot study, researchers found that chewing gum can release an average of 100 microplastics per gram of gum, with some individual gum pieces releasing as many as 600 microplastics per gram. Given that a typical piece of gum weighs between 2 and 6 grams, a large piece of gum could release up to 3,000 plastic particles. If the average person chews 160 to 180 small sticks of gum per year, researchers estimate that this could result in the ingestion of around 30,000 microplastics.
Both synthetic and natural gums were found to contain microplastics, with the highest amount being polyolefins, a type of plastic that includes polyethylene and polypropylene. The researchers examined five types of synthetic gum along with five types of natural gum that are commercially available. They found that natural chewing gums contained a similar amount of microplastics as synthetic gums.
The act of chewing is abrasive enough to make pieces of plastic flake off. After 8 minutes of chewing, 94% of the plastic particles collected during the tests had been released. Therefore, chewing one piece of gum for longer is preferable to chewing multiple pieces for shorter periods to reduce potential exposure to microplastics.
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Natural gum contains plant-based polymers, which are also a type of plastic
Chewing gum is made with flavouring, a sweetener, a rubber base, and other ingredients. The rubber base, often referred to as the "gum base" on the ingredients list, is where plastic can be found in chewing gum. Synthetic rubber bases are made from a petroleum-based polymer (plastic). Natural gum products, on the other hand, use a plant-based polymer, such as chicle or other tree sap, to achieve the right chewiness.
Plant-based polymers are a type of plastic. The word "polymer" refers to a large molecule made up of repeating smaller units, and plastics are synthetic polymers. However, natural polymers, such as those found in tree sap, are also considered a type of plastic.
A study by the American Chemical Society found that chewing gum can release hundreds to thousands of microplastics per piece into saliva and potentially be ingested. Both synthetic and natural chewing gums released microplastics into saliva in the study. The researchers were surprised to find that natural gums contained similar amounts of microplastics to synthetic gums. The study also found that both types of gum contained the same kinds of polymers, the highest amount being polyolefins, a type of plastic that includes polyethylene and polypropylene.
While the long-term effects of exposure to microplastics are not well understood, there is emerging evidence of potential health harms. The fact that chewing gum contains microplastics is concerning because it adds to the exposure to microplastics from other sources, such as food, water, and plastic packaging. However, it is important to note that there are brands of chewing gum that do not contain plastic, and there is currently no evidence that chewing gum base is harmful.
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The long-term health effects of microplastics in gum are not yet known
Chewing gum is one of the only foods that is made of plastic, with the "gum base" in the list of ingredients largely made of polyvinyl acetate, a plastic polymer. A recent study has found that chewing gum can release hundreds to thousands of microplastics per piece into saliva and potentially be ingested. Both synthetic and natural gums were found to contain microplastics, with the highest amount being polyolefins, a type of plastic that includes polyethylene and polypropylene.
The recent study on microplastics in gum found that, on average, 100 microplastics were released per gram of chewing gum, with some individual gum pieces releasing up to 600 microplastics per gram. If the average person chews 160 to 180 small sticks of gum per year, this could result in the ingestion of around 30,000 microplastics. This would significantly increase the amount of microplastics ingested by the average person, which is estimated to be tens of thousands of microplastics per year.
While the health effects of microplastics in gum are not yet fully understood, researchers suggest that chewing one piece of gum for longer instead of popping in a new one could help reduce potential exposure to microplastics. This is because the act of chewing is what causes the plastic particles to flake off, and after 8 minutes of chewing, 94% of the plastic particles had been released.
It is important to note that the presence of microplastics in gum does not necessarily mean it is harmful. The FDA has evaluated the safety of many substances used to make up chewing gum bases, and has determined that 46 substances are safe for this use. However, the potential long-term health effects of microplastics in gum are an area that requires further research and investigation.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, chewing gum can contain plastic. Plastic is found in both synthetic and natural gums.
A typical piece of gum weighs between 2 and 6 grams, and releases an average of 100 microplastics per gram of gum. This means a large piece of gum could release up to 3,000 plastic particles.
The long-term effects of exposure to microplastics are not well understood, and there is currently no evidence that chewing gum base is harmful. However, emerging evidence has suggested several potential health harms.
The plastic in chewing gum is made from synthetic rubber bases, which are petroleum-based polymers. The most common type of polymer found in gum is polyolefins, which include polyethylene and polypropylene.
Yes, there are brands of chewing gum that do not contain plastic. Natural gum products use a plant-based polymer, such as chicle or other tree sap, to achieve the right chewiness.
