Scientists recently discovered that certain bacteria “can break down the strong bonds that give ‘forever chemicals’ their long shelf life,” a discovery that could make it much cheaper to cleanse water of those chemicals. Reducing the amount of such chemical pollutants in groundwater is important, because once those chemicals enter people’s bloodstreams, these chemicals bind to proteins and can enter people’s organs, where they remain for years or even decades. Once there, the most common “forever chemicals” are “immune hazards to humans,” and can hinder antibody responses.
As Live Science explains:
PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are human-made compounds found in many products. They contain strong chemical bonds that do not easily break down, making them difficult to remove from our bodies and the environment.
FAS have been linked to a variety of health effects, and this past April, the Environmental Protection Agency set limits on the concentrations of six common PFAS in drinking water. This move highlighted a need for effective ways to clean up polluted waters.
Now, in a study published July 17 in the journal Science Advances, researchers reported for the first time that four species of Acetobacterium can degrade the bonds in some PFAS….There are already some effective approaches to treating PFAS, including filtration and heat treatment. However, using biological approaches involving bacteria could have unique advantages. According to the study authors, the approach could be low cost and easily injected into groundwater beneath the Earth’s surface, where many existing treatments are challenging to apply. Groundwater supplies about one-third of U.S. drinking water.
In other news, a smart antibiotic kills dangerous bacteria while sparing the beneficial bacteria your gut needs.
And scientists have discovered a new antibiotic that can kill drug-resistant bacteria.
A virus is being used to cure deafness in new gene therapy. Researchers also discovered that a plant virus could be used to save crops from root-eating pests.
