Scientists Find Bacteria that Can Break Down PFAS in Groundwater and Wastewater
Researchers from the University of California, Riverside have reported a promising discovery: a group of bacteria capable of breaking down certain PFAS compounds. The findings are published in Science Advances, a peer‑reviewed journal widely read by environmental scientists and policy makers alike.
PFAS, often called forever chemicals, earned that name from the unusually strong bonds between carbon and fluorine. Those bonds make PFAS stubbornly resistant to natural breakdown, allowing these chemicals to linger in soil, water, and living systems for long periods. Over time, PFAS can accumulate in the body, raising concerns about health effects and diseases linked to extended exposure. The widespread use of PFAS in industry, where they provide heat resistance and water repellency to many products, has helped these compounds spread through the environment.
In the study, environmental engineers examined bacteria from the Acetobacterium genus to assess their ability to degrade persistent PFAS structures. Acetobacterium is commonly found in wastewater settings and is known to interact with fluorinated compounds. The researchers observed that these microbes can induce defluorination, a process that releases fluorine and destabilizes PFAS molecules. Notably, the biodegradation was most effective on unsaturated PFAS structures with double bonds, indicating a targeted subset of PFAS that these bacteria can attack more efficiently.
The team also identified specific bacterial enzymes that appear responsible for breaking the tough carbon–fluorine bonds. Recognizing these enzymes opens doors to optimizing or engineering them so they can work on a wider range of PFAS, potentially expanding the set of compounds that biological means can neutralize. This enzymatic insight marks a meaningful step toward turning a once stubborn class of pollutants into more manageable forms through natural processes and biotechnological enhancement.
Beyond laboratory results, the research frames a broader conversation about reducing environmental PFAS burdens. If enzymes from Acetobacterium or closely related microbes can be improved to attack more PFAS structures, treatment facilities and remediation projects might later combine biological methods with physical and chemical approaches. Such an integrated strategy could lower PFAS concentrations in water supplies and soil, helping communities minimize exposure and ecological impact. While the study focuses on certain unsaturated PFAS, ongoing work aims to broaden the scope to other variants that have proven difficult to degrade in natural settings.
It is important to note that PFAS cover a diverse family, and their persistence depends on many factors, including the molecule’s shape, the presence of other functional groups, and surrounding environmental conditions. The discovery of actionable bacterial pathways highlights the potential of bioremediation as part of a multi‑faceted approach to PFAS management—one that blends advances in microbiology, environmental engineering, and policy to protect drinking water and ecosystems. The researchers emphasize continued study to validate these results in real‑world conditions and to determine how to scale enzyme optimization for practical use, including pilot projects in wastewater treatment contexts. Findings from the SciAdv study contribute to this growing field and encourage further work in North America and beyond.
The implications extend to industrial stewardship, where controlling PFAS release requires proactive measures across the supply chain. If microbial solutions can be refined and implemented responsibly, they may complement established cleanup methods, offering a greener option alongside traditional approaches. In the meantime, this study adds to a body of evidence that natural microbial processes can contribute to reducing pollutant loads, especially when paired with targeted genetic and enzymatic improvements. Translating laboratory success into field readiness will require more work, but the path forward is guided by concrete enzymatic targets and a clearer understanding of which PFAS compounds are most amenable to biodegradation. In the bigger picture, this line of inquiry points toward hopeful progress in mitigating PFAS impacts on health and the environment, while informing policy and technology development in North America and beyond. This summary reflects the findings reported in Science Advances and the associated research team.