Scientists make mind-blowing discovery while investigating ‘forever chemicals’: ‘A critical step’

Scientists at the University at Buffalo have found one bacteria strain with high potential to break down and transform “at least three types of PFAS … and some of the toxic byproducts,” too, SciTechDaily reported. 

Their study, recently published in the Science of the Total Environment journal, described the astonishing results of the Labrys portucalensis F11 (F11) bacteria strain in breaking down types of forever chemicals. 

The key lies in “starving” the bacteria of alternative carbon sources, encouraging the bacteria to source carbon from the carbon-fluoride molecules that make up PFAS. 

The scientists experimented on F11 bacteria isolated from the soil of a contaminated industrial site in Portugal. 

The F11 bacteria were placed in sealed flasks with no other carbon source besides 10,000 micrograms per liter of PFAS, according to SciTechDaily. The flasks were incubated between 100 and 194 days before they were shipped to the university for analysis. 

What the University at Buffalo scientists found was that there were increased levels of fluoride ions in the sample. This suggested to scientists that the F11 bacteria, in their search for carbon to metabolize, successfully uncoupled the carbon-fluoride molecules in PFAS — which are notoriously hard to break down.

“The carbon-fluorine bond is what makes PFAS so difficult to break down, so to break them apart is a critical step,” said University at Buffalo Ph.D. student Minduala Wijayahena, according to SciTechDaily. 

The bacteria metabolized 90% of PFOS (a type of PFAS) over 100 days and broke down a significant portion of two other types of PFAS (fluorotelomer carboxylic acid and fluorotelomer sulfonate), a University at Buffalo newsletter confirmed. The scientists also found that the bacteria removed fluorine from the metabolites, indicating that the F11 bacteria not only tackles the forever chemicals but also the toxic byproducts, too. 

“If bacteria survive in a harsh, polluted environment, it’s probably because they have adapted to use surrounding chemical pollutants as a food source so they don’t starve,” said study author and university professor Diana Aga, according to SciTechDaily

PFAS have been linked to detrimental human health and wildlife health. Scientists caution to avoid these chemicals, but they’re everywhere. This breakthrough, however, may suggest a slowing or potentially even reversible effect on the impact of PFAS. 

One team of researchers created small 3D monolith structures to trap PFAS in water. Another team of researchers figured out how to use visible LEDs to break down PFAS.

It seems that forever chemicals might not be so forever after all.

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