title: Occurrence of seven artificial sweeteners in the aquatic environment and precipitation of Tianjin, China.
abstract: Seventy water samples, including wastewaters, tap waters, fresh surface waters, coastal waters, groundwaters, and precipitation samples, from Tianjin, China, were analyzed for seven commonly used artificial sweeteners (ASs). The concentrations of the investigated ASs were generally in the order of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) influent > WWTP effluent > surface water > tap water > groundwater ≈ precipitation, while the composition profiles of ASs varied in different waters. Acesulfame, sucralose, cyclamate, and saccharin were consistently detected in surface waters and ranged from 50 ng/L to 0.12 mg/L, while acesulfame was the dominant AS in surface and tap waters. Aspartame was found in all of the surface waters at a concentration up to 0.21 μg/L, but was not found in groundwaters and tap waters. Neotame and neohesperidin dihydrochalcone were less frequently detected and the concentrations were low. The concentrations of the ASs in some of the surface waters were of the same order with those in the WWTP influents, but not with the effluents, indicating there are probably untreated discharges into the surface waters. The ASs were detected in precipitation samples with high frequency, and acesulfame, saccharin, and cyclamate were the predominant ASs, with concentrations ranging from 3.5 ng/L to 1.3 μg/L. A gross estimation revealed that precipitation may act as a source for saccharin and cyclamate in the surface environment of Tianjin city. Moreover, the presence of ASs in the atmosphere was primarily assessed by taking 4 air samples to evaluate their potential source in precipitation.
authors.affiliation: MOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Street, Tianjin 300071, China.
authors.forename: Zhiwei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gan
authors.forename: Hongwen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Biting
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Ruonan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yanwei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D001272:Atmosphere; D002681:China; D003494:Cyclamates / Q000032:analysis; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000032:analysis; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000032:analysis; D060587:Groundwater / Q000032:analysis; D011891:Rain / Q000737:chemistry; D012439:Saccharin / Q000032:analysis; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D013843:Thiazines / Q000032:analysis; D062065:Wastewater / Q000032:analysis; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D003494:Cyclamates; D060766:Drinking Water; D012439:Saccharin; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D013843:Thiazines; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C006362:acetosulfame
keywords: Artificial sweeteners; Groundwater; Precipitation; Surface water; Tap water; Waste water treatment plants