My 2c: Sugars are digestible (some not so easily) and can be metabolized by organisms (humans, animals and bacteria). They are broken down to more simpler compounds.

Artifical sweeteners… Well I don’t know the chemistry, but assume they are not sugars in the chemical sense of the term. Seems logical that they would not be subject to the same biologic processes that break down sugars. Seems logical then that wastewater treatment plants that utilize biologic processes would have little to no effect on reducing/digesting artificial sweeteners. Just another added chemical that we will al have to deal with in our environment.

I cannot understand for the life of me why any health conscious person would use artificial sweetners or why they were even ever approved by our government, but then again it is always about money. Now these awful chemicals will have affect on you regardless of choosing to stay clear of them.

And what do we know of those pharmacueticals in the water supply stories? They’re bogus. This one is too. The sugar/sweetner in the diet thing is entirely different but I’m willing to bet it’s overblown hype as well. Gives the tin foil-hat and Kashi crowd something to do though.

Just a couple of thoughts: 1) I wonder if the German scientists found any Zyklon-B in their water samples? 2) With the epidemic of diabetes in the developed world, it’s nice to know that at least these slippery substances won’t raise your blood sugar.

I knew it! All you have to do to test this theory is look in the bottom of your coffee cup. No matter how hard you stir, that sweet stuff collects in the bottom.

Just a point of clarification on sewage treatment plants. These plants do NOT completely purify the water so that 100% pure water flows out of the effluent pipe. They simply clean the water enough so that it isn’t any worse than what you would normally find in a natural river.

To treat sewer water to the point of removing all artifical sweetners, pharmaceuticals, and whatever else you might think of would be incredibly expensive. It can be done if everyone doesn’t mind more taxes every payday. How about it America, you ready to pass the hat?

I didn’t think so.

Unlike pharmaceuticals, which are designed to effect changes in an organism, sweetner is merely a flavor enhancer. With the possible exception of build up in the high end of predator species, I can’t see where artifical sweetners pose any kind of danger to anything at all…