A recent study in the Journal of Hazardous Materials has uncovered a startling discovery—chewing one piece of gum for an hour can expose a person to over 250,000 microplastic particles. The study reveals a new, yet to be tested, source of plastic pollution and contributes to the growing concerns over the pervasiveness of microplastics in our environment.
Researchers conducted experiments to examine the prevalence of microplastics in saliva after having chewed gum for one hour. The results indicated that a single piece of gum yielded more than 250,000 microplastics in saliva, thereby constituting a significant source of plastic ingestion. While food, water, and air have been noted as the principal sources of ingestion of microplastics in previous research, the current study reveals the role of chewing gum in the body accumulation of the small plastic particles.
