Study: The chewing gum separates hundreds of microplastms directly into the mouth
The chewing gum separates hundreds of microplastics directly into the mouth, shows a study whose authors remain very cautious about the possible impact on consumer health, writes France Press, quoted by BTA.
Plastic microparticles (smaller than five millimeters) have already been found in the air, water, food, packaging, synthetic textiles, tires and cosmetics. Every day, people swallow them, inhale or enter into skin contact with them.
From the lungs and kidneys to the blood and brain, microplastics are found in almost every part of the human body. Although not sure about their health, many scientists are already alarming about their potential harm.
« I do not want to panic among people, » said Sanja Mohanti, the lead author, the study presented at a meeting of the American Society of Chemists.
Microplastmas prevents plants from photosynthesis according to a new study
A researcher at the University of California Los Angeles notes that there is no evidence of a direct connection between microplastry and changes in human health.
The study was done rather to draw attention to a small -studied path, in which small particles of plastic, often invisible, enter our bodies – the gum.
For his goals, PhD, Lisa Low, of the University of California, has cheated seven pieces of ten gum of different brands. The researchers then did a chemical analysis of her saliva. They have come to the conclusion that one gram of chewing gum emits an average of 100 microplastry, but some of the gum emits more than 600. The average weight of a piece of gum is about 1.5 grams.
According to scientists, people who chew about 180 gum a year can absorb about 30,000 microplastics. However, this is a small amount compared to many other possible ways to absorb these particles, Mohanti said.
Microplastry is the modern scourge for humans and animals on the planet
The authors of another study have calculated, for example, that one liter of water in a plastic bottle contains an average of 240,000 microplastics.
The type of chewing gum, which is most commonly sold in supermarkets, called synthetic, contains oil-based polymers to achieve a chewing effect. However, plastics are not mentioned on the package, the researchers said.
« No one will tell you what the ingredients are, » Mohanti says.
Researchers have tested five brands of synthetic gum and five brands of natural gum, which uses polymers of plant origin, such as wood juice. They are surprised to find that in both cases the microplastry is abundant.
When a person chews chewing gum, almost all microplastics are separated within the first eight minutes of chewing, Low notes.
According to David Jones, a researcher at the University of Portsmouth who has not participated in the study, manufacturers should be obliged to specify their ingredients in more detail.
