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Environment

Why Is an Artificial Sweetener Showing Up in Lake Erie?

Oct. 24, 2012 6:39pm
Mercyhurst University Researchers Studying Artificial Sweetener Levels Being Found in Lake Erie

Most candies contain the artificial sweetened sucralose, which scientists are finding at measurable levels in Lake Erie. (Image: Shutterstock.com)

With everything from the quickly approaching trick-or-treating on Halloween night to recent bans on large size sodas in New York City, sugar is on the brain of late. Both of these items contain an ingredient, not metabolized by the body, that is now showing up in measurable levels in Lake Erie.

Lake Erie has long been the target of pollutants research, but now Mercyhurst University scientists added sucralose to the list. Sucralose is an artificial sweetener that chemistry professor Amy Parente said 95 percent of which that is ingested ends up beingΒ excretedΒ into the water.

Although the chemical is not toxic to humans, its effect on the environment is unknown. The Mercyhurst researchers are striving to understand what these impacts could be including altered water taste and biological health effects. The university’s statement also pointed out that sucralose could trick organisms in the environment into thinking the food supply is adequate, leading to decreased foraging that would have benefited them later down the road.

Related:

Featured image via Mercyhurst.edu.Β 

(H/T: Eurekalert via GeekOSystem)

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Comments (42)

  • sizzlinsexybeckster
    Posted on October 25, 2012 at 9:39am

    Maybe they are testing to see how far the sweetener will flow throughout the city…see how many people it will get to in their water…. then they will know how many people they will kill when they instead next time use some chemical drug in the water to exterminate the public. Hey, our government is gross, what other reason could there be???

    Report this comment

    sizzlinsexybeckster  
  • Johnny Cocheroo
    Posted on October 25, 2012 at 8:29am

    So where do we put the sign:

    Warning: Drinking large amounts of this water has been known to cause cancer in laboratory animals.

    Report this comment

    Johnny Cocheroo  
  • hillbillyinny
    Posted on October 25, 2012 at 7:51am

    @ bcanddc

    Since it was repeated THREE TIMES, I believe the original writer meant it as a “play on words” (except for the first misspelling of “waist”).

    Laugh a little, it feels good!

    I agree, spelling is very important!!! I do, however notice upon reading HuffPo (which I do periodically), the responders there are failing in spelling and grammer too. Chalk it up to browsers without spell check, use of texting that abbreviates everything, and some of us who when to school in the 50′s and were the first public school children who were forced to us “See-Say” method of reading–NOT PHONICS–infact, we were to tell our parents, “I’m not allowed to sound it out”! EVERYTHING had to be memorized using cold memory–and guess what, a portion of the population has little to NO cold memory! I’m one, I can’t even remember a seven digit phone number if I don’t already associate the exchange (not the area code even!), with another number previously!

    I taught myself phonics in my thirties and learned some Latin to sing in church, and now I can spell better, but it’s not 100% Yet, my reading levels and vocaubulary are higher than most!!! My brain knows the difference between, though, through, thought and thorough, but my memory can’t offer it correctly if you ask me to say it. Yet, I can type it at over 100 wpm!

    Lighten up!

    Report this comment

    hillbillyinny  
    • Melika
      Posted on October 25, 2012 at 8:25am

      This is a Liz Klamas story – in no uncertain terms is it a “joke” or an intentional misspelling. She has a track record for stupid spellings and horrific sentence structure. Intelligence is measured by how well you speak and write. The idea that somehow it shouldn’t be so is a deplorable and purposeful agenda. I have never seen such a drop in grammar, punctuation, and just plain normal sentence structure as I have in last 10-15 years. The blame is put on computers and texting, but that is nothing but a ready excuse for bad teachers and little standards in education.

      It used to take one click of the mouse to run a spell-check. Now you can simply type something in and immediately get feedback on spelling AND grammar. While a computer doesn’t yet differentiate between “waist” and “waste”, a simple perusal of her own writing and a basic intelligence should. There is no excuse for the trash this “professional journalist” regularly puts out. I expect crap like what she does in the comments section, not from the writer.

      but hey your probly rite she in huri n it funy wen old ppl went 2 reed somthin n she probly up l8 ritin so wtf iminhurysoiritelikedis2savetime

      Report this comment

      Melika  
  • 666Sucks
    Posted on October 25, 2012 at 7:40am

    Relax everyone, the Chinese are negotiating to by the water rights to Lake Superior, and Obama is just trying to sweeten the deal!

    Report this comment

    666Sucks  
  • 666Sucks
    Posted on October 25, 2012 at 1:35am

    Relax everyone, the a honest are negotiating to by the water rights to Lake Superior, and Obama is just trying to sweeten the deal!

    Report this comment

    666Sucks  
    • PaulreveresDarknight
      Posted on October 25, 2012 at 3:03am

      You waisred time writing that dribble. You waisted time. You could have used it to make up a funny joke. But you waisted it

      Report this comment

      PaulreveresDarknight  
    • bcanddc
      Posted on October 25, 2012 at 6:36am

      Paulreveredarkknight: You need to get your spelling and grammar in check my friend. “Waisted” is a reference to the size of somebody’s mid section. The word you are after is “wasted”. Somebody needs to invent a “grammar” checker to go along with spell checker.

      This crap makes me crazy!!

      Report this comment

      bcanddc  
    • Johnny Cocheroo
      Posted on October 25, 2012 at 8:36am

      Looks like your joke is waisted. To bad and sad it’s waisted cause most don’t get it. What a waist.

      Report this comment

      Johnny Cocheroo  
    • midnightvelvet
      Posted on October 25, 2012 at 2:34pm

      Yeah, can anyone play this game?

      It’s “drivel” not “dribble.”

      Report this comment

      midnightvelvet  
  • BasketFullOfPuppies
    Posted on October 25, 2012 at 12:47am

    I seem to remember a study that showed people ate more when using artificial sweeteners. So, shouldn’t we be more worried about the aquatic life becoming obese?

    Report this comment

    BasketFullOfPuppies  
    • loriann12
      Posted on October 25, 2012 at 7:13am

      I read somewhere that Splenda has the same ingredients as DDT. My oncologist told me to cut out ALL artifical sweeteners, cut back on sugar and if I’m going to use sugar, use raw cane suger, the least processed the better.

      Report this comment

      loriann12  
    • G-WHIZ
      Posted on October 25, 2012 at 10:44am

      Yeah…the DEAD fish in DEAD lake are gettin’ bloated ……not fat!

      Report this comment

      G-WHIZ  
  • IntheDirt
    Posted on October 25, 2012 at 12:30am

    It is a violation of the clean water act. It will go on th list of pollutants of concern and waste water treatment plants across the country will have to upgrade. The EPA will have to hire another 700 beaurocrats and issue millions in loans and grants to pour communities. Construction sites and municipalities will need to add it to their storm water pollution prevention plans. States will need to assess intranet ate waters and tributaries for parement is the new pollutant. And hire dozens of scientists to re-write all their watershed assessments. Finally consultants will be needed to perform studies to evaluate if the new rules are working. It is just a matter of time before the Natiral Resource Defence Counsel sues the EPA and gets the former prophesy rolling. Mark my words.

    Report this comment

    IntheDirt  
  • greg4fitness
    Posted on October 24, 2012 at 9:41pm

    It’s from Brawndo. You know, Brawndo’s got electrolytes.

    Report this comment

    greg4fitness  
  • chips1
    Posted on October 24, 2012 at 9:39pm

    Drinking more than 16 oz could get you a felony rap.

    Report this comment

    chips1  
  • Dougral Supports Israel
    Posted on October 24, 2012 at 9:23pm

    I refuse to be afraid of unquantified environmental “threats”. Science today can detect things down to a few parts per trillion. Everything we use will end up being detected everywhere. The fear-mongers and those who would use our fear to control us will create imaginary danger for people to focus on while they steal our freedom.

    Report this comment

    Dougral Supports Israel  
  • independentvoteril
    Posted on October 24, 2012 at 9:02pm

    it’s NON TOXIC to humans??? DON’T be to sure on that.. government has lied to us before .. never touch the stuff myself.. I’m allergic to it.. guess it’s toxic to some humans huh…

    Report this comment

    independentvoteril  
  • vonMises
    Posted on October 24, 2012 at 8:16pm

    If excretion is the vehicle by which sucralose enters the lake, it seems to me that “sweet” is not the only flavor to be concerned about.

    Report this comment

    vonMises  
  • Oneirishman
    Posted on October 24, 2012 at 8:15pm

    Will Lake Erie now be band in New York? Stay tuned.

    Report this comment

    Oneirishman  
  • saneromeo
    Posted on October 24, 2012 at 7:51pm

    well isn’t that sweet…
    http://saneromeo.wordpress.com/

    Report this comment

    saneromeo  
  • BetterInformed
    Posted on October 24, 2012 at 7:49pm

    I’ve heard it will grow hair on your palm.

    Report this comment

    BetterInformed  
  • KingCanon
    Posted on October 24, 2012 at 7:30pm

    Because of all the snow cream melting just south of the North Pole! You know… the global adorning.

    Report this comment

    KingCanon  
  • edrebber
    Posted on October 24, 2012 at 7:22pm

    Finally they have discovered the cause of obesity.

    Report this comment

    edrebber  
  • WINNEBAGOMAN
    Posted on October 24, 2012 at 7:21pm

    OK environmentalists. We all know green is the new red. This is what makes this story so ironic. It is government subsidies which has pushed back the production of cain-sugar, or pure sugar, and lead to high fuctose corn-syrup, and chemical-lab sweeteners. The same kind of redistribution of wealth that is causing the meat-market today, getting flooded with livestock. Notice in your local grocer the cost of meat is going down. Wait until spring time. The cost of meat will “necessariy skyrocket”. (Buy a chest freezer, and stock it). Other corn and soy-based food products have already increased between 12%-20%.

    Why is sucralose in Lake Erie? The short answer is an overbearing nanny nation, that has an obsession with social and economic engineering. The free-market can fix all of these problems, if the government would just get out of the way.

    Report this comment

    WINNEBAGOMAN  
  • proliance
    Posted on October 24, 2012 at 7:14pm

    The message is “don’t drink the water from Lake Erie ’cause someone pee’d bad stuff into it.” Got it.

    Report this comment

    proliance  
  • coyote1hell
    Posted on October 24, 2012 at 7:08pm

    Big Stinking “(o)”…Blamed it on Bush…

    Report this comment

    coyote1hell  
  • Chatikh
    Posted on October 24, 2012 at 7:01pm

    This is the same science that says “evilution” and the “big bong’ are real while completly ignoring the Bible! This is the same science that says homosexuality is harmless isntead of the pervertion that it is! I don’t believe this for a second, more like the researcher just wants grant money!

    Report this comment

    Chatikh  
    • TheValley
      Posted on October 24, 2012 at 7:10pm

      You are free to think whatever the hell you want, I don’t want ANYTHING un-natural in my water or my fish. Don’t just wave something off, because it is very apparent that you have no aptitude on the subject and therefore should STFU, the rest of us might have a different idea of what we want to drink.

      Report this comment

      TheValley  
    • chips1
      Posted on October 24, 2012 at 9:34pm

      CHATIKH;
      You must have wondered into “THEVALLEY” of death.

      Report this comment

      chips1  
  • AMENDMENT
    Posted on October 24, 2012 at 6:58pm

    Next report on this story is how Obama will use gazillions of renminbi’s to save vertebrates and invertebrates from this chemical in the water. Would say dollars, but i don’t think any is left for his disposal.

    Report this comment

    AMENDMENT  
  • The-Monk
    Posted on October 24, 2012 at 6:51pm

    Well…. they did name it Lake “Erie”.

    Report this comment

    The-Monk  
    • Wolf
      Posted on October 24, 2012 at 7:20pm

      All that candy being flushed down the toilet so BloomingIdiotBerg’s sweetener gestapo can’t find it.

      Report this comment

      Wolf  
  • afellowpatriot
    Posted on October 24, 2012 at 6:48pm

    What’s it doing in a lake???

    Report this comment

    afellowpatriot  

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