AbstractMeasurements were made of the biodegradation of 4‐chloro‐4‐deoxy‐α, D‐galactopyranosyl‐1,6‐dichloro‐1,6‐dideoxy‐β, D‐fructofuranoside (sucralose) in samples of several natural environments. This chlorinated carbohydrate, which represents a new class of artificial sweeteners, was extensively transformed to CO2in four mineral soils with pH values of 4.9 to 7.2. Mineralization occurred at concentrations of 0.01 to 1,000 mg of sucralose per kilogram of soil, and the initial rates were a direct function of substrate concentration. At the lower concentrations, mineralization was initiated with no detectable acclimation period. Mineralization was not evident in soil under anaerobiosis. Mineralization occurred in lake sediments, sewage, and estuarine water but at lower rates and lesser extents than in soils. Little mineralization was evident in samples from oligotrophic, mesotrophic, and eutrophic lakes, the extent of mineralization being often less than the contamination level of the sucralose preparation. Sucralose degradation resulted from microbial activity because mineralization did not occur in sterilized environmental samples, and the addition of cycloheximide or streptomycin to soil significantly reduced mineralization. No bacterium could be isolated that was capable of utilizing sucralose as the sole carbon source. The data suggest that the biodegradation of sucralose i
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