DIET SWEETENERS FOUND IN THE GRAND RIVER

Today's Waterloo Region Record carrys this story "River loaded with diet sweeteners". These sweeteners specifically include cyclamate, saccharin, sucralose and acesulfame. The theme of my posting was going to be that you only find in either groundwater or surface water; compounds that you are testing for. In other words diet sweeteners today and God knows what tomorrow. It puts an entirely different perspective on our so called heritage Grand River when we begin to realize how little we actually know about what is in it courtesy of human beings.

Then my wee brain did a little jerk. I recalled from decades ago certain controversies surrounding saccharin. Sure enough a few minutes on Wikipedia brought it all back. Saccharin at one time was banned for various health hazards allegedly including carcinogenic properties. To this day cyclamates are still banned in the U.S. whereas many other countries permit them. Saccharin seems to have been rehabilatated reputation wise. One of these four even has a different name which is almost identical to a Chemtura (Uniroyal) toxic compound known as Benzothiazole. While I recognize that chemical compounds can be very close to each other and still have entirely different effects on living organisms; nevertheless I have a personal concern when I see cyclohexlamines, amines (NH) and other toxic compounds being used in foods or drinks. There definitely seems to be some serious scientific concerns with at least some of these sweeteners and that's enough for me. They should not be in the Grand River in the first place but now that we know they are there will we do anything about it or will we wait until we see negative biological effects either on wildlife or humans consuming the water?