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River Bacteria Eat 'Forever Chemicals'
22 Aug
Summary
- Bacterial strains in river sediment can remove forever chemicals.
- PFAS are persistent due to strong carbon-fluorine bonds.
- One bacterial strain reduced PFAS in industrial waste landfill leachate.
A Japanese research team has discovered that bacteria residing in river sediments can effectively break down persistent 'forever chemicals,' also known as PFAS. These substances are notoriously difficult to degrade due to the strength of their carbon-fluorine bonds, leading to their accumulation in water, soil, and wildlife globally.
The study, published in the Journal of Water Process Engineering, focused on isolating bacterial strains from sediment samples collected along the Samondo River in Osaka Prefecture. Researchers identified specific microbes capable of reducing concentrations of PFOS and PFOA, two common types of PFAS.
Further experiments showed that one particular bacterial strain markedly decreased PFAS levels in leachate from an industrial waste landfill. This finding highlights the practical applicability of these microbes in real-world environmental remediation efforts. The research indicates that the primary method of PFAS removal by these bacteria is through adsorption onto their cellular structures.
