Thursday, July 9, 2009

Artificial Sweeteners Remain After Sewage Treatment

The potential heath effects of artificial sweeteners are still debated, but the controversy surrounding their effect on the environment is just beginning.

Researchers in Germany used a new analytical method to detect artificial sweeteners in waste and surface water. Out of the seven sweeteners they tested for, they found four: acesulfame, saccharin, cyclamate, and sucralose. These sweeteners are making it through the sewage treatment process, indicating that sweeteners are polluting rivers and streams that receive water from sewage treatment plants. In previous studies, only sucralose had been detected.

Click here for more information on this research.

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