Scientists at the University of Cambridge have discovered that certain gut bacteria can absorb PFAS “forever chemicals” and safely remove them from the body, with some bacterial species eliminating between 25% and 74% of these toxic compounds within minutes. The research, published in Nature Microbiology, offers new hope for protecting people from PFAS-linked cancers, fertility issues, and heart disease.
When nine bacterial species were introduced into mice guts to create a human-like microbiome, the bacteria rapidly accumulated PFAS eaten by the mice, which were then excreted in feces. The researchers found that as mice were exposed to increasing levels of PFAS, the microbes consistently removed the same percentage of toxic chemicals, working like a scalable biological filter.
Dr. Anna Lindell, lead author from Cambridge’s MRC Toxicology Unit, noted that certain human gut bacteria species have “a remarkably high capacity to soak up PFAS from their environment at a range of concentrations, and store these in clumps inside their cells.” The bacteria appear protected from toxic effects due to PFAS aggregation in these clumps. The research team has founded a startup called Cambiotics to develop probiotic supplements that could enhance the gut’s natural PFAS-removal capabilities.
Source: https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/gut-microbes-could-protect-us-from-toxic-forever-chemicals