Chewing gum can shed microplastics into saliva, pilot study finds - American Chemical Society
www.acs.org
Plastic is everywhere. And many products we use in everyday life can expose people to tiny, micrometer-wide plastic particles called microplastics. Now, chewing gum could be added to the list. In a pilot study, researchers found that chewing gum can release hundreds to thousands of microplastics per piece into saliva and potentially be ingested.
  • 🇰 🌀 🇱 🇦 🇳 🇦 🇰 🇮 @pawb.socialEnglish
    61·
    2 months ago

    I’ve already been assuming micro plastics are in literally everything on the planet after it’s been found in so many things in recent years. At this point, it would be more surprising to know what doesn’t have micro plastics in it.

    I’d also like to see more studies on the effects of micro plastics being in everything. Shits in our fucking balls but we don’t know if it’s harming us. Everything sure wants to make you scared of it, though. I just wanna know if we really should be. I mean, I don’t think it’s good but still.

    • Ms. ArmoredThirteen@lemmy.zipEnglish
      1·
      2 months ago

      Almost all modern gum base is made from rubber/plastic. If you want plastic free gum you’ll likely have to switch to one that specifically advertised as such. Most people talk about Simply Gum; I’ve never tried it personally and don’t know much about the company

      • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        2·
        2 months ago

        “Surprisingly, the natural based gums gave off the same amount of microplastics” so I’m not sure it’s worth switching from the one you like. The better way to reduce your intake is not to start a new piece, instead keep chewing the old one that’s releasing fewer and fewer particles. The best choice would be to stop chewing gum, but it helps me eat less, also there’s apparently microplastics in foods too, and in everything else including our eyeballs.

        • Obi@sopuli.xyzEnglish
          1·
          2 months ago

          Crazy how different people react differently to things, I don’t chew gum often but I did try it again when I started controlling my diet and for me it just seems to activate my hunger, like my brain thinks “I’m chewing something, time to prepare the stomach for receiving food!”.

  • reksas@sopuli.xyzEnglish
    1·
    2 months ago

    good thing i stopped using chewing gum ages ago, always chewed it way too long and it turned disgusting.

    • randint@lemmy.frozeninferno.xyzEnglish
      0·
      2 months ago

      I just pulled this out from my ass, but I would guess yes, they do. But you rinse your mouth after brushing your teeth so I would guess it’s not that bad? Since you’re (mostly) not ingesting the microplastic particles from the toothbrush. But again I’m going off of nothing.

      • iheartneopets@lemm.eeEnglish
        4·
        2 months ago

        Current advice is actually to not rinse after brushing, as you’re meant to let the fluoride of the toothpaste sit against your teeth for thirty minutes.

        Unfortunately, I would recommend not losing sleep over either source of microplastics (chewing gum or toothbrushes), until tires and synthetic clothing are done away with by society. Those are much MUCH bigger, inescapable sources of microplastics