Chewing Gum Becomes Persistent Microplastic

Most modern chewing gum is not biodegradable because manufacturers make its gum base from synthetic rubber and plastics. During World War II, a shortage of natural chicle pushed producers toward petrochemical substitutes such as polyisobutylene and polyvinyl acetate. Bacteria cannot break down these materials, so discarded gum can remain largely unchanged for years before sunlight and physical wear reduce it to microplastic fragments. Some newer brands use natural chicle and produce biodegradable gum instead.

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