Some Gut Microbes Can Absorb and Help Expel 'Forever Chemicals', Study Shows

"Certain kinds of gut microbes absorb toxic Pfas 'forever chemicals' and help expel them from the body," reports the Guardian, citing a "new first-of-its-kind University of Cambridge research shows." The microbes were found to remove up to 75% of some Pfas from the gut of mice. Several of the study's authors plan to develop probiotic dietary supplements that boost levels of helpful microbes in the human gut, which would likely reduce Pfas levels...

Pfas are a class of about 15,000 compounds most frequently used to make products water-, stain- and grease-resistant. They have been linked to cancer, birth defects, decreased immunity, high cholesterol, kidney disease and a range of other serious health problems. They are dubbed "forever chemicals" because they do not naturally break down in the environment. The US Environmental Protection Agency has found no level of exposure to Pfos or Pfoa, two of the most common Pfas compounds, in drinking water is safe. They have a half-life in human blood of anywhere from two to five years, by most estimates. That means the body expels half the amount of the chemical that is in blood during that period. Depending on blood levels, it can take decades to fully expel Pfas naturally.

Though the findings represent the first time gut microbes have been found to remove Pfas, they have been found to alleviate the impacts of other contaminants, such as microplastics...

The microbes largely addressed "long-chain" Pfas, which are larger compounds and more dangerous than smaller "short chains" because they stay in the body longer.

What the hell is a "Pfas"?

[50000BTU_barbecue]

With that capitalization, is it a city in Prussia?

Re:

[Gravis Zero]

Here: https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-... [epa.gov]

Re:

[wyHunter]

It's like BBC always writing "NASA" as "Nasa." Silly, and incorrect.

Time scale?

[Shakes Fist]

No mention of how long until human trials even start, let alone when we can buy it.

Re:

[fahrbot-bot]

No mention of how long until human trials even start, let alone when we can buy it.

Guessing they're already available in some inexpensive food or supplement, but they haven't figured out how to turn them into an expensive, prescription-only product yet, that, of course, people will have to take daily. #cynical-but-probably-true

Study announces upcoming product will work!

[93 Escort Wagon]

So they've done a "study" that shows a product they're developing and intending to sell will be beneficial.

No conflicts of interest there, no siree... I'm sure the science is sound and needs no further checking.

Not a revolution

[manu0601]

I guess that explains the huge interpersonal variation on PFAS excretion in feces. Everyone's liver excretes a small amount of PFAS in bile, some people have gut bacteria that absorb it, other people reabsorb the PFAS from the intestine.

Not sure this will be a big change for PFAS decontamination, as the PFAS must first be excreted by liver, and it seems it is not a very efficient process.

Your drinking water is the primary source

[RobinH]

From what I can tell, even though we're all afraid of the teflon on our frying pans, most of the PFAS contamination in our bodies likely comes from our drinking water, particularly if you're downstream of, e.g., a Dow Chemical plant that manufactures it. Or if firefighters had training facilities upstream of you where they used firefighting foam because it contains PFAS. Certain communities are far more affected than others. You can find a map here [ewg.org]. Or another map for Canada here [newsinteractives.cbc.ca].