Scientists have discovered that a microscopic bacterium might hold the secret to neutralizing some of the most persistent toxic chemicals ever created.
Story Highlights
- University of Nebraska researchers discovered that Rhodopseudomonas palustris bacteria can absorb 44% of PFOA chemicals within 20 days
- Multiple research teams worldwide have identified different bacteria capable of breaking down or sequestering forever chemicals
- PFAS contamination affects drinking water supplies globally and persists indefinitely without intervention
- Biological remediation could transform environmental cleanup from trapping chemicals to actually degrading them
The Forever Chemical Crisis Meets Its Microbial Match
PFAS chemicals have contaminated water supplies across America since the 1940s, accumulating in human blood and resisting every conventional cleanup method. These synthetic compounds, used in everything from non-stick pans to firefighting foam, earned their “forever” designation because their carbon-fluorine bonds make them virtually indestructible through traditional means.
Rajib Saha and Nirupam Aich at the University of Nebraska made their breakthrough while studying Rhodopseudomonas palustris, a photosynthetic bacterium. Their research, published in Environmental Science: Advances, demonstrates that this common microbe can interact with and absorb perfluorooctanoic acid, removing nearly half of the contamination in controlled laboratory conditions within three weeks.
Watch;
Breaking the Unbreakable Bonds
The discovery represents more than incremental progress—it challenges the fundamental assumption that forever chemicals are truly permanent. While the Nebraska team’s bacteria doesn’t completely destroy PFAS, it appears to trap the chemicals within its cellular membranes. This mechanism differs significantly from traditional remediation approaches that rely on activated carbon filters or ion exchange resins to capture contaminants.
Parallel research at the University at Buffalo has identified another bacterial strain, designated F11, that actually breaks apart the carbon-fluorine bonds that make PFAS so persistent. Mindula Wijayahena’s team found this strain can degrade some toxic byproducts while accounting for metabolite formation—a critical factor often overlooked in previous studies.
From Laboratory Promise to Environmental Reality
The potential applications extend beyond academic curiosity into practical environmental solutions. Dionysios Aga from the University at Buffalo suggests deploying these bacteria through bioaugmentation—adding specific bacterial strains to existing treatment systems in wastewater facilities. This approach could accelerate PFAS removal without requiring entirely new infrastructure investments.
However, significant challenges remain before bacterial remediation becomes viable for widespread deployment. Current degradation rates, while promising, achieve only partial removal of contamination. Scientists must also address concerns about bacterial cell integrity—if the cells break apart, they could release previously sequestered PFAS back into the environment, potentially worsening contamination problems.
The Economic and Health Stakes
PFAS contamination has generated billions in litigation costs and remediation expenses while posing serious health risks including elevated cholesterol, liver damage, and immune system suppression. Communities near manufacturing sites and military installations where firefighting foam was used face particularly acute exposure risks. Traditional cleanup methods often prove inadequate and prohibitively expensive for large-scale contamination.
The convergence of findings from multiple international research teams suggests bacterial remediation represents a reproducible scientific phenomenon rather than isolated laboratory curiosities. Italian researchers at Catholic University of Piacenza have documented soil bacteria achieving degradation rates exceeding 30 percent, while Cambridge University scientists have identified gut bacteria that can bioaccumulate PFAS, potentially protecting human health.
Sources:
This tiny microbe may be the key to fighting forever chemicals
Bacteria unearthed in Italian soil offer hope against PFAS chemicals
Bacteria found to eat ‘forever chemicals’
ACS Environmental Science & Technology Publication
Gut bacteria found to soak up toxic forever chemicals
Nature Microbiology Publication
