A single piece of gum could expose chewers to 250,000 microplastics
Chewing a single piece of gum for an hour can release over 250,000 microplastics and nanoplastics into saliva.
A Queen's University Belfast study highlighted chewing gum as an overlooked source of microplastic exposure.
Researchers used automated Raman spectroscopy to detect and quantify the particles.
Microplastics and nanoplastics are a potential health hazard with unknown long-term impacts on the human body.
The study raises concerns about how long gum lasts in the environment after chewing and its contribution to plastic pollution.
