Removal of low-calorie sweeteners at five Brazilian wastewater treatment plants and their occurrence in surface water

Autor(es)

Cunha Alves, Priscilla da Costa ^[1] ; Rodrigues-Silva, Caio ^[1] ; Ribeiro, Alyson Rogerio ^{[1, 2]} ; Rath, Susanne ^[1]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Chem, Dept Analyt Chem, POB 6154, BR-13084971 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Minas Gerais, Vet Sch, Dept Prevent Vet Med, BR-31270901 Belo Horizonte, MG - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Journal of Environmental Management; v. 289, JUL 1 2021.
• Citações Web of Science: 0

Resumo

The consumption of low-calorie sweeteners (LCSs) such as acesulfame (ACE), sucralose (SUC), saccharin (SAC), cyclamate (CYC), aspartame (ASP), neotame (NEO), and stevioside (STV) is increasing worldwide to meet the demand for reduced-calorie foods and beverages. However, there are no consumption data available in Brazil, as well as their concentration in sewage and removal on wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In the present study, ACE, SUC, SAC, CYC, ASP, NEO, and STV were assessed at five WWTPs located in the metropolitan region of Campinas (Sa?o Paulo State, Brazil), in operation with different treatment processes. Surface water was also analyzed. Analyses were carried out by on-line solid-phase extraction ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The major points are the following: LCS concentrations in the influents ranged from 0.25 to 189 ?g L-1 and followed the order CYC > ACE > SAC > SUC. NEO, ASP, and STV were not detected at any sampling site. Sweetener concentrations in the WWTP outputs differed mainly due to the different treatment setups employed. CYC and SAC were completely removed by biodegradation-based processes, while ACE removal was favored by the anaerobic-anoxic-aerobic process. SUC presented the highest concentration in the treated sewage, even at the WWTP operating with ultrafiltration membranes and therefore could be a marker compound for evaluation of the efficiency of removal of contaminants in WWTPs. Risk quotient estimation, using the PNEC and MEC values, indicated that the levels of the LCS reported here were harmless to the biota. The consumption of ACE, CYC, SAC, and SUC was estimated to be 2634 t year- 1. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 18/03571-2 - Fármacos no Ecossistema Aquático
• Beneficiário: Susanne Rath
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular
• Processo FAPESP: 18/09697-8 - Comportamento e priorização de fármacos no ambiente aquático
• Beneficiário: Alyson Rogério Ribeiro
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Pós-Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 14/50951-4 - INCT 2014: Tecnologias Analíticas Avançadas
• Beneficiário: Celio Pasquini
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Temático