Certain Gut Microbes Found to Absorb Ingested PFAS: Study

An
illustration
of
PFAS
accumulation
in
gut
bacteria.
Peter
Northrop
/
MRC
Toxicology
Unit

Our
gut
bacteria
—
collectively
known
as
the
“gut
microbiome”
—
perform
many
important
tasks
in
addition
to
the
basics
of
breaking
down

food
and
vitamins,
including
supporting
our
immune
system
and
brain
health.

Researchers
from
the
University
of
Cambridge
have
recently
identified
a
family
of
gut
bacteria
that
can
absorb
per-
and
polyfluoroalkyl
substances
(PFAS)
“forever
chemicals”
from
their
surroundings.
They
said
boosting
these
bacteria
in
our
gut
could
help
safeguard
us
from
PFAS’
harmful
effects.

“Per-
and
polyfluoroalkyl
substances
(PFAS)
are
persistent
pollutants
that
pose
major
environmental
and
health
concerns.
While
few
environmental
bacteria
have
been
reported
to
bind
PFAS,
the
interaction
of
PFAS
with
human-associated
gut
bacteria
is
unclear.
Here
we
report
the
bioaccumulation
of
PFAS
by
38
gut
bacterial
strains,”
the
authors
of
the

study
wrote.
“[M]ice
colonized
with
human
gut
bacteria
showed
higher
PFNA
levels
in
excreted
faeces
than
germ-free
controls
or
those
colonized
with
low-bioaccumulating
bacteria.
Together,
our
findings
uncover
the
high
PFAS
bioaccumulation
capacity
of
gut
bacteria.”

[embedded content]

When
nine
of
the
species
from
the
human
gut
bacteria
family
were
introduced
into
mice
microbiomes,
they
rapidly
accumulated
ingested
PFAS,
which
were
afterward
excreted
in
feces,
the
press
release
said.

PFAS
have
been
associated
with
a
variety
of
health
concerns,
including
increased
risk
of
certain
cardiovascular
diseases
and
cancer,
developmental
delays
in
children
and
decreased
fertility.

Ubiquitous
in
the
modern
world,
PFAS
are
difficult
to
avoid,
as
they
are
used
in
everyday
items
such
as
nonstick
cookware,

waterproof
clothing,

food
packaging
and

cosmetics
for
their
resistance
to

water,
heat,
oil
and
grease.

“The
reality
is
that
PFAS
are
already
in
the
environment
and
in
our
bodies,
and
we
need
to
try
and
mitigate
their
impact
on
our
health
now.
We
haven’t
found
a
way
to
destroy
PFAS,
but
our
findings
open
the
possibility
of
developing
ways
to
get
them
out
of
our
bodies
where
they
do
the
most
harm,”
said
co-author
of
the
study

Dr.
Indra
Roux,
a
researcher
at
the
University
of
Cambridge’s
MRC
Toxicology
Unit,
in
a
press
release
from
the
university.

Researchers
in
the
Patil
Lab
have
discovered
that
certain
species
of
gut
bacteria
can
absorb
PFAS.
Boosting
these
species
in
our
gut
microbiome
could
be
a
new
way
to
protect
us
from
the
harmful
effects
of
PFAS.
Read
more
here:
buff.ly/4FsVFsS
@kiranrpatil.bsky.social
@indraroux.bsky.social

[image
or
embed]

—
MRC
Toxicology
Unit
(@mrc-tu.bsky.social)

July
1,
2025
at
5:02
AM

The
researchers
found
that
the
microbes
worked
harder
as
levels
of
PFAS
increased,
consistently
removing
the
same
amount
of
the
toxic
substances.
The
bacterial
species
they
tested
were
able
to
absorb
from
25
to
74
percent
of
PFAS
within
minutes
of
exposure.

The
results
of
the
study
are
the
first
evidence
that
the
gut
microbiome
has
the
potential
to
help
remove
PFAS
from
our
bodies,
though
it
has
yet
to
be
tested
directly
in
humans.

The
research
team
plans
to
use
the
discovery
to
make
probiotic
dietary
supplements
to
boost
levels
of
the
helpful
microbes
in
the
human
gut.

“Given
the
scale
of
the
problem
of
PFAS
‘forever
chemicals,’
particularly
their
effects
on
human
health,
it’s
concerning
that
so
little
is
being
done
about
removing
these
from
our
bodies,”
said
senior
author
of
the
study
Dr.
Kiran
Patil,
director
of
research
at
the
University
of
Cambridge’s
MRC
Toxicology
Unit,
in
the
press
release.
“We
found
that
certain
species
of
human
gut
bacteria
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.
Due
to
aggregation
of
PFAS
in
these
clumps,
the
bacteria
themselves
seem
protected
from
the
toxic
effects.”

More
than
4,700
PFAS
are
currently
in
widespread
use,
and
there
is
growing
concern
about
their
environmental
and
health
impacts.
In
April,
the
United
Kingdom
Parliament
launched
an
inquiry
into
the
risks
and
regulation
of
PFAS
forever
chemicals.

Some
of
the
dangerous
chemical
compounds
get
cleared
from
the
human
body
through
the
urine
within
days,
but
others
can
stay
for
years
due
to
their
longer
molecular
structure.

“We’re
all
being
exposed
to
PFAS
through
our
water
and
food
–
these
chemicals
are
so
widespread
that
they’re
in
all
of
us,”
said
first
author
of
the
study
Dr.
Anna
Lindell,
a
researcher
at
the
University
of
Cambridge’s
MRC
Toxicology
Unit,
in
the
press
release.

While
we
wait
for
probiotics
to
be
developed,
the
researchers
said
the
best
ways
to
protect
ourselves
from
PFAS
are
to
use
a
high-quality
water
filter
and
avoid
cookware
coated
with
PFAS.

“PFAS
were
once
considered
safe,
but
it’s
now
clear
that
they’re
not.
It’s
taken
a
long
time
for
PFAS
to
become
noticed
because
at
low
levels
they’re
not
acutely
toxic.
But
they’re
like
a
slow
poison,”
Lindell
said.

The
results
of
the
study,
“Human
gut
bacteria
bioaccumulate
per-
and
polyfluoroalkyl
substances,”
were
published
in
the
journal

Nature
Microbiology.

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