Recent studies have made public a truly amazing breakthrough. In a twist, some gut microbes are able to sequester and excrete per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—a class of about 15,000 synthetic compounds collectively known as “forever chemicals.” These compounds are used in a number of consumer products to produce water-stain- and grease-proof surfaces. This finding has the potential to have a huge impact on public health. Risk from PFAS exposure is particularly acute as these so-called “forever chemicals” accumulate in the environment and human body.
PFAS are a class of chemicals known to stay in human blood for decades. Their half-life is between two and five years. Research indicates that it can take your body 20 to 30 years to fully clear these chemicals on its own. This period can vary based on your personal blood concentration levels. Extended duration of long-chain PFAS establishes a much deeper surface than health hazards. These longer compounds have a tendency to accumulate in the body long-term and are considered more harmful than the shorter-chain varieties. Short-chain PFAS are a little more complicated. Short-chain PFAS dissolve more easily in water and are excreted in urine. Long-chain variants are a much more difficult challenge.
Yet food is one of the most troublesome vectors for PFAS exposure. Currently, the U.S. has no set safety standards for these harmful chemicals in our food. This lack of regulation underscores the need for effective solutions to mitigate the harmful effects of PFAS on human health.
In a recent study, researchers demonstrated that specific gut microbes could effectively remove up to 75% of certain PFAS from the gastrointestinal tracts of mice. These microbes quickly multiplied and absorbed PFAS consumed by the mice, then excreting the absorbed compounds in their feces. This finding paves the way for novel treatment strategies harnessing the gut microbiota’s innate powers.
Anna Lindell and her colleagues, who conducted the study, have established a company called Cambiotics. They are hungry to build upon these findings. They want to develop a probiotic based on their research. With some further research, this probiotic could become a powerful tool in reducing the adverse effects of PFAS on human health.
If we can translate this to humans, we may be able to engineer probiotics that dynamically absorb and excrete PFAS from the body. This latter solution would be far superior, not only because it would result in less harmful spillover effects. Lindell stated.
Lindell warned against investing too heavily in those types of solutions. She emphasized the importance of addressing broader issues related to PFAS exposure: “This should not be used as an excuse to downplay other sustainable solutions or to not address the bigger PFAS problem.”
This discovery underscores the thrilling promise of gut microbes battling the persistent problem of PFAS buildup in our body. It further calls attention to the urgent need for efficient strategies to reduce exposure to these harmful compounds. Researching the impacts of gut microbiota is an area of highest importance. This might lead to new health-focused interventions that improve upon our existing public health approaches to addressing PFAS contamination.
