Are we using more sugar substitutes? Wastewater analysis reveals differences and rising trends in artificial sweetener usage in Swedish urban catchments

Autor: Inga Haalck, Anna Székely, Stina Ramne, Emily Sonestedt, Claudia von Brömssen, Elin Eriksson, Foon Yin Lai
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Environment International, Vol 190, Iss , Pp 108814- (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 0160-4120
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108814
Popis: The market for artificial sweeteners as substitutes for conventional sugar (sucrose) is growing, despite potential health risks associated with their intake. Estimating population usage of artificial sweeteners is therefore crucial, and wastewater analysis can serve as a complement to existing methods. This study evaluated spatial and temporal usage of artificial sweeteners in five Swedish communities based on wastewater analysis. We further compared their levels measured in wastewater with the restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden and assessed health risks to the Swedish population. Influent wastewater samples (n = 194) collected in March 2019-February 2022 from communities in central and southern Sweden were analyzed for acesulfame, saccharin, and sucralose using liquid-chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Spatial differences in loads for individual artificial sweetener were observed, with sucralose being higher in Kalmar (southern Sweden), and acesulfame and saccharin in Enköping and Östhammar (central Sweden). Based on sucrose equivalent doses, all communities showed a consistent prevalence pattern of sucralose > acesulfame > saccharin. Four communities with relatively short monitoring periods showed no apparent temporal changes in usage, but the four-year monitoring in Uppsala revealed a significant (p
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