The Effect of Artificial Sweeteners on Aquatic Biomes

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Introduction

            The purpose of this experiment was to determine if artificial sugars affect living organisms in wastewaters. The rationale was that many lakes and rivers have wastewater from different factories and buildings, and the wastewater contains sugars from human waste that may harm the environment. This discovery was found during a previous study by Swedish researchers. The human body metabolizes sugar; however, many artificial sugars are not metabolized. Most artificial sugars work by avoiding the body’s metabolism. Artificial sweeteners include Sucralose, Saccharine, and Aspertame. Organisms that may be affected by artificial sugars are Diatoms, a type of phytoplankton, Daphnia, a small crustacean, and Aquaspirillum Serpens, a type of common pond bacteria. If artificial sugars are harming aquatic biomes, we need to find a way to help the organisms live.

Literature Review

Scientists from the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) found sucralose to be omnipresent in the environment—in raw and treated wastewater. Now, scientists in Sweden report finding sugars completely unchanged in wastewater effluent in Stockholm and elsewhere in Sweden. The Swedish environmental protection agency (EPA) commissioned researchers at the Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL) to examine surface waters and wastewater effluent for sucralose. The researchers reported in January that samples from both large and small wastewater treatment plants in Sweden had sucralose concentrations of 8 micrograms per liter (µg/L) or more before treatment (Artificial Sweetener Persists in the Environment, 2008).

The artificial sweeteners tested in this study are Saccharine, Sucralose, and Aspertame. They are passed through the body unchanged in the blood and digestive system. It also is passed in urine, causing the sugar contamination on wastewater. Saccharine was accidentally discovered in 1879 by Constantine Fahlberg during an experiment when he spilled the chemical on his hands. During dinner that night, he discovered that his bread was sweeter than usual. Curious about this, he tasted various residues on his hands and clothes. He also tasted different chemicals in his lab. For about a century now, saccharine has been used for many low-calorie and sugar-free products throughout the world. Since it is not metabolized in the body for energy, saccharin is classified as a noncaloric sweetener. It is used in table top sweeteners, baked goods, jams, chewing gum, canned fruit, candy, dessert toppings and salad dressings (Ophardt, 2003). Saccharin is about 300 times sweeter than sugar. Another name for saccharine is Sweet n’ Low.

In 1965, Jim Schlatter was working on an experiment to discover new treatments for gastric ulcers. He haphazardly splashed the chemical he was using on his hands. He later detected a sweet taste on his fingers. He and his lab partner traced this taste back to the chemicals they were using during experimentation (Ophardt, 2003). This sweet tasting chemical was named aspartame. Aspartame is about 200 times sweeter than sugar. Discovered in 1976, sucralose, also known as Splenda, is 600 times sweeter than sugar and does not metabolize to produce energy, thus it does not contain calories. It is the only low calorie sweetener that is made from a changed sugar that passes through the body unchanged and unmetabolized. Unchanged artificial sweeteners will not get broken down in the wastewater, causing either some organisms to grow too much from the excess of food or they might die from having that unfamiliar chemical in the water.  This could be bad because it might cause an unbalanced environment, or mess up the food chain. (Ophardt, 2003).

Other independent variables include the types of living organisms. The organisms being used are Daphnia, Diatoms, and Aquaspirillum serpens. Diatoms are a part of a group called phytoplankton, which branches from a bigger group called plankton, consisting of plants and animals. It is the most important food source on planet Earth. The term phyto comes from the Latin phyton meaning tree or plant.  This large grouping is composed mostly of single-celled algae and bacteria. They live on the surface of the ocean where they can photosynthesize from the vast exposure of the sun. Photosynthesis is the process that plants use to make food. The chemical compound chlorophyll and sunlight convert carbon dioxide, water, and minerals into edible carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. There are many types of phytoplankton including, diatoms, dinoflagellates, and flagellates (Stout, p.637).

            Daphnia are very common in ponds, lakes, and streams. These tiny animals that are less than 3mm in size are also known as the “water flea.” But this animal is not a flea or an insect, it is a crustacean. They harvest the tiny algae cells that photosynthesize. Daphnia swims with a jerky motion through the water as the powerful antennae are thrust downward. The stroking action moves the animal toward the surface. Then it pauses for a short while before the next stroke, falling toward the bottom of the pond. This is when it breathes and captures food. Five pairs of legs inside the body covering are used to capture tiny microscopic food. They also aid in breathing as the animal collects oxygen from the water ( Daphnia, 2008).

          These organisms were chosen because they are common of each group that was being tested. The bacteria, Aquaspirillium serpens, can be found in streams and other rivers that wastewater can contaminate. The Daphnia were chosen because they were easy to obtain, and the materials needed to grow them were also easily obtained. The algae, diatoms, can be cultured easily and are a common type of algae.

            The research hypothesis is that the sugar will negatively affect the growth of the organisms. The null hypothesis is that the sugar will not affect the organisms. This is believed because if there are more chemicals, such as chlorine and sugar, added to the water, then the organisms would not be used to them, or be able to adjust easily. This could cause the organisms to die, or have a bad effect on the organisms.

Research Methodology

The independent variables were the types of sugars tested, sucralose, saccharin, and aspartame. The concentration of sugar in the water was 8 micrograms/Liter (µg/L) (Artificial Sweetener Persists in the Environment, 2008.) The dependent variables will be measured using a qualitative data scale and quantitative data. The diatoms will be measured using the spectrophotometer to determine how much light is absorbed from, the mixture of algae and sugar. The bacteria, Aquaspirillum serpens, will be measured using the same method, the spectrophotometer. The daphnia will be measured by the death count.

            Safety precautions for this experiment include wearing gloves to protect hands, goggles to protect the eyes, an apron, and having all loose hair pulled back out of the way. The research 3 teacher will supervise this experiment. To remove waste and dispose of the sugar water, the water will be poured down the sink with running water.

            The materials in this experiment include gloves, apron, goggles, 12 L freshwater, sucralose, aspartame, saccharin, daphnia, 1 daphnia culture kit, Aquaspirillium serpens and culture tubes, diatoms and culture tubes, 1 graduated cylinder, 2 small fish tanks, and a spectrophotometer.

             Procedure Steps:

1.      The organisms will be bought and the materials will be set and ready.

2.      Place diatoms and Aquaspirillum Serpens in separate test tubes with the same amount of water.

3.      Place the Daphnia in a tank and add spring water.

4.      8 micrograms of each artificial sugar will then be mixed in 1 liter of water.

5.      Leave organisms in water for one week

6.      After one week, collect the data of the diatoms, wavelength at 700, and the aquaspirillium serpens, wavelength at 580, in the spec 20.

7.      Then collect the data of the Daphnia by death count.

8.      For each sugar these steps will be repeated three times.

Data Analysis

            The data in graphs 1, 2, and 3 show the average light absorbance results for the aquaspirillum serpens and the diatoms for each of the three trials of each sweetener dilution. The difference between the control and each sweetener had no significant results. The same results occurred for the diatoms. The death count of daphnia, shown in graph 4, was recorded and there was no significant difference between the control and each of the sweeteners. The numbers were very close and showed no variance in every graph. These results were analyzed in SPSS using univariate analysis of variance. The F value used was 0.005. The significance between groups was 1.000. This means that there were no significant differences in the mean of any of the data.

Aquaspirillum serpens Exp. 1

Daphnia

Diatoms

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Coach Bolen for revising my paper, helping with procedures, maintaining the cultures, and assisting during experimentation. I would also like to thank Ms. Kennen for giving me science articles that helped me develop a project idea. Mrs. Baskett helped revise procedures and assisted during experimentation. I would like to thank my parents for their support I would also like to thank the Rockdale Magnet School for providing the money to buy the necessary organisms and equipment.

References

Artificial Sweetener Persists in the Environment. Environmental Science and Technology Online. 12, March, 2008.  American Chemical Society. 20, Mar, 2008 http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2008/mar/science/nl_sucralose.html.

Frequently Asked Questions About Artificial Sweeteners. Mama'sHealth.com. 2008. Mama'sHealth.com. 22 Mar 2008. http://www.mamashealth.com/diets/altfaq.asp

Plankton. Nature Works. 2008. New Hampshire Public Television. 22 Mar 2008

http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/nwep6d.htm

Daphnia. (2006). Retrieved April 18, 2008, from Biomedia Associates Learning Programs for Biology Education Web site: http://www.ebiomedia.com/Biology-Classics/The-Biology-Classics-About-Daphnia-The-Water-Flea.html

Braby, Caren (2001). Phytoplankton. Retrieved April 17, 2008, from Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute Web site: http://www.mbari.org/staff/conn/botany/phytoplankton/phytoplankton_diatoms.htm

Ophardt, Charles. Aspartame, Saccharin, Sucralose. Virtual Chembook - Elmhurst College 2003 22, March, 2008.  http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/549aspartame.html

Stout, Prentice. Phytoplankton: Plants of the Sea. Rhode Island Sea Grant pp. 637. 22, March, 2008 http://seagrant.gso.uri.edu/factsheets/phytoplankton.html