Use of an Artificial Sweetener to Identify Sources of Groundwater Nitrate Contamination

Robertson, W.D.; Stempvoort, Dale R. Van; Roy, James W.; Brown, Scott; Spoelstra, John; Schiff, Sherry L.; Rudolph, David; Danielescu, Serban; Graham, Gwyn

doi:10.1111/gwat.12399

Cited by 30 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Using ACE concentrations previously measured in septic tank effluents allows us to estimate the septic‐derived water contribution in groundwater samples. In a study conducted in Ontario, the mean concentration of ACE in septic system effluent has been shown to range from 14 to 71 μg L −1 (Robertson et al, 2016a, supporting information). Using these values as range limits, we calculated that 2.0 to 4.7% of the seeps and 3.4 to 13.6% of the domestic wells have 1% or more of their water being derived from septic system effluent (Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Estimated proportion of septic effluent in groundwater seeps ( n = 149) and domestic wells ( n = 59). The (A) minimum and (B) maximum effluent scenarios are based on mean septic effluent acesulfame concentrations of 71 and 14 μg L −1 , respectively (mean values for seven septic tanks, n = 37 in total; Robertson et al, 2016a). …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Second, we assume that the septic tank ACE concentrations measured by Robertson et al (2016a) are representative of septic system effluents in our study area. The availability of more septic effluent artificial sweetener concentrations will make these contribution calculations more robust in the future.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Artificial Sweeteners Reveal Septic System Effluent in Rural Groundwater

2017

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It has been widely documented that municipal wastewater treatment plant effluents are a major source of artificial sweeteners to surface waters. However, in rural areas, the extent to which septic systems contribute these same compounds to groundwater aquifers is largely unknown. We examined the occurrence of four commonly used artificial sweeteners in an unconfined sand aquifer that serves as a water supply for rural residents, as a receptor of domestic wastewater from septic systems, and as a source of baseflow to the Nottawasaga River, ON, Canada. Groundwater from the Lake Algonquin Sand Aquifer in the southern Nottawasaga River Watershed was collected from private domestic wells and as groundwater seeps discharging along the banks of the Nottawasaga River. Approximately 30% of samples had detectable levels of one or more artificial sweeteners, indicating the presence of water derived from septic system effluent. Using acesulfame concentrations to estimate the fraction of septic effluent in groundwater samples, ∼3.4 to 13.6% of the domestic wells had 1% or more of their well water being derived from septic system effluent. Similarly, 2.0 to 4.7% of the groundwater seeps had a septic effluent contribution of 1% or more. No relationship was found between the concentration of acesulfame and the concentration of nitrate, ammonium, or soluble reactive phosphorus in the groundwater, indicating that septic effluent is not the dominant source of nutrients in the aquifer. It is expected that the occurrence of artificial sweeteners in shallow groundwater is widespread throughout rural areas in Canada. Core Ideas Samples were collected from domestic wells and groundwater seeps in rural Ontario. Artificial sweeteners were found in >30% of rural groundwater samples. Acesulfame was used to estimate the fraction of septic effluent in groundwater. Septic effluent was not a significant source of nutrients in the aquifer.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Artificial Sweeteners Reveal Septic System Effluent in Rural Groundwater

2017

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“…Current analytical methods can detect part‐per‐trillion levels of these compounds in groundwater and surface water samples (Buerge et al ; Lange et al ; Gan et al ; Tran et al ). Furthermore, both ACE and SUC are fairly resistant to attenuation and degradation in municipal wastewater treatment systems (Scheurer et al ; Soh et al ; Kokotou and Thomaidis ; Burke et al ), rural septic systems (Robertson et al , , ), and drinking water treatment plants (Mawhinney et al ). Other sweeteners, such as saccharin (SAC) and cyclamate (CYC), are more readily degraded in wastewater treatment systems (Lange et al ; Lim et al ), but may still be useful wastewater tracers for nonquantitative detection and source identification (e.g., Van Stempvoort et al ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Concentrations of Artificial Sweeteners and Their Ratios with Nutrients in Septic System Wastewater

Snider¹,

Roy²,

Robertson³

et al. 2017

Groundwater Monitoring Rem

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This study reports the first comprehensive data set of characteristic concentrations of four artificial sweeteners: acesulfame (ACE), sucralose (SUC), saccharin (SAC), and cyclamate (CYC), and their ratios with nutrients, for untreated septic system wastewater. Samples were collected from the tanks of 19 different septic systems from across Ontario, Canada; these had a variety of usages, from single‐family cottages to multiple‐dwelling (campground or resort) facilities and had no additional treatment systems. The artificial sweetener concentrations and their relative proportions were highly variable in some cases, both temporally for several individual tanks and from site‐to‐site. Variability tended to be lower for multiple‐dwelling compared to single‐dwelling systems. This variability likely reflects differing use of artificial sweetener‐containing products. The median concentrations for the complete data set of all four artificial sweeteners (in a range of 10 to 60 μg/L) were of a similar order of magnitude, but slightly higher, than has generally been reported for wastewater treatment plant influent (though these vary substantially globally). Both SUC and ACE provided adequate positive linear relationships for dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus in the septic tanks, while a summation of ACE and SUC concentrations also gave a strong correlation. In contrast, CYC and SAC showed poor linear correlation with these nutrients. These reported ranges for artificial sweetener concentrations and ratios with nutrients may be used in future studies to estimate the contributions of nutrients or other wastewater constituents (e.g., pharmaceuticals, bacteria, and viruses) from domestic septic systems to groundwater, including water supply or irrigation wells, and nearby surface water bodies.

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“…Numerous studies have employed the analysis of artificial sweeteners, particularly acesulfame (ACE) and sucralose (SUC), for tracing domestic wastewater in the environment (e.g., Brorström‐Lundén et al ; Buerge et al ; Scheurer et al ; Oppenheimer et al ; Wolf et al ; Robertson et al ; Spoelstra et al ; Van Stempvoort et al ). Their usefulness as tracers is due in part to their widespread use in the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries, and also due to the fact that several artificial sweeteners, including ACE, SUC, saccharin (SAC), and cyclamate (CYC), are not completely broken down in wastewater treatment plants (e.g., Scheurer et al ) or septic systems (e.g., Robertson et al , ). As a consequence, these compounds have been found in rivers, lakes, and groundwater (e.g., Buerge et al ; Scheurer et al , Van Stempvoort et al ; Gan et al ; Perkola and Sainio ) at concentrations that are often significantly higher than other common wastewater tracers (e.g., caffeine, carbamazapine).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Syringe‐Tip Filters May Contain the Artificial Sweetener Saccharin

Spoelstra¹,

Roy²,

Brown³

2016

Groundwater Monitoring Rem

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The presence of artificial sweeteners in environmental samples is increasingly used to detect wastewater (and recently landfill leachate) in rivers, lakes and groundwater. Through routine laboratory quality assurance/quality control procedures, it was discovered that some syringe‐tip filters leach saccharin when used to process water samples. We subsequently tested several brands of filters to determine if they leached any of the four common artificial sweeteners analyzed in environmental samples, acesulfame, saccharin, cyclamate, and sucralose. Of the six types of filters tested, only one brand was a source of artificial sweeteners and the only artificial sweetener found was saccharin. The source of the saccharin in the filters is unknown but it is likely the result of some step in the manufacturing process. The saccharin was typically removed from these filters using a distilled water rinse of 13 mL or less. As a precaution, filters should be pre‐tested for the presence of saccharin and/or filters should be flushed with distilled water or sample prior to the collection of water samples for artificial sweetener analyses.

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Use of an Artificial Sweetener to Identify Sources of Groundwater Nitrate Contamination

Cited by 30 publications

References 28 publications

Artificial Sweeteners Reveal Septic System Effluent in Rural Groundwater

Artificial Sweeteners Reveal Septic System Effluent in Rural Groundwater

Concentrations of Artificial Sweeteners and Their Ratios with Nutrients in Septic System Wastewater

Syringe‐Tip Filters May Contain the Artificial Sweetener Saccharin

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