Chewing Gum (Microplastics)
Conventional gum made with a synthetic polymer base.
65Low burden · out of 100
Cleaner swapNatural chicle-based gum, or skip gum
How this score is built
- 100Start
- 86.2Chemical hazard 3 × 4.6−13.8
- 72.6Everyday exposure 4 × 3.4−13.6
- 65Persistence 3 × 2.6−7.8, then rounded to 65
- LowThe band65 sits in 60–79.
What each input rests on
| Input | Rating | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical hazard | 3/10 | unsourced input |
| Everyday exposure | 4/10 | unsourced input |
| Persistence | 3/10 | unsourced input |
Ratings are editorial. A study listed here supports the rating; it did not compute it. How the index is built
What this means for you
The 'gum base' in most conventional chewing gum is synthetic rubber — essentially plastic. A 2025 laboratory study reported that chewing a single piece can release hundreds to thousands of microplastic particles into saliva. Natural chicle gum avoids the synthetic base.
Evidence strength: emerging
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