Each stick of gum releases an average of 100 pieces of microplastic into saliva — with some shedding up to 600 pieces — according to an American Chemical Society (ACS) release on the study ...

The unidentified child had ingested about 40 pieces of sugar-free gum, arriving at the emergency room the next day with cramps and diarrhea thanks to his obstructed GI tract. 3.

They found that a gram (0.04 ounces) of gum released an average of 100 microplastic fragments, though some shed more than 600. The average weight of a stick of gum is around 1.5 grams.