Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are toxic chemicals found in various products and human bodies, linked to serious health issues. Researchers have explored using gut bacteria to effectively remove PFAS from systems. Studies revealed that certain gut bacterial strains could accumulate significant levels of PFAS. The bacteria showed the ability to absorb between 25 and 74 percent of these 'forever chemicals' within 24 hours. This finding suggests a possible avenue for mitigating the harmful effects of PFAS exposure.
Bacteria commonly found in the human gut could potentially be used to gather up PFAS and carry them out as waste, researchers suggest in a study published this week in Nature Microbiology. The gut bacteria accumulates perfluorononanoic acid, a 'forever chemical,' as dense clumps.
The team first tested how PFAS and other pollutants interacted with dozens of bacterial strains from the human gut and noticed that nine of them accumulated certain PFAS chemicals effectively, with bacteria sopping up anywhere from 25 to 74 percent of PFAS within 24 hours.
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