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Scientists have discovered that certain species of microbe found in the human gut can absorb PFAS - the toxic and long-lasting ‘forever chemicals.’ They say boosting these species in our gut microbiome could help protect us from the harmful effects of PFAS.

PFAS have been linked with a range of health issues including decreased fertility, developmental delays in children, and a higher risk of certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases.

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have identified a family of bacterial species, found naturally in the human gut, that absorb various PFAS molecules from their surroundings.  When nine of these bacterial species were introduced into the guts of mice to ‘humanise’ the mouse microbiome, the bacteria rapidly accumulated PFAS eaten by the mice - which were then excreted in faeces.

The researchers also found that as the mice were exposed to increasing levels of PFAS, the microbes worked harder, consistently removing the same percentage of the toxic chemicals. Within minutes of exposure, the bacterial species tested soaked up between 25% and 74% of the PFAS.

The results are the first evidence that our gut microbiome could play a helpful role in removing toxic PFAS chemicals from our body - although this has not yet been directly tested in humans.

The researchers plan to use their discovery to create probiotic dietary supplements that boost the levels of these helpful microbes in our gut, to protect against the toxic effects of PFAS.

PFAS (Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) can’t be avoided in our modern world. These man-made chemicals are in many everyday items including waterproof clothing, non-stick pans, lipsticks and food packaging, used for their resistance to heat, water, oil and grease. But because they take thousands of years to break down, they are accumulating in large quantities in the environment – and in our bodies.

Dr Kiran Patil, in the University of Cambridge’s MRC Toxicology Unit and senior author of the report, said: “Given the scale of the problem of PFAS ‘forever chemicals’, particularly their effects on human health, it’s concerning that so little is being done about removing these from our bodies.”

“We found that certain species of human gut bacteria have a remarkably high capacity to soak up PFAS from their environment at a range of concentrations, and store these in clumps inside their cells. Due to aggregation of PFAS in these clumps, the bacteria themselves seem protected from the toxic effects.”

Dr Indra Roux, a researcher at the University of Cambridge’s MRC Toxicology Unit and a co-author of the study said: “The reality is that PFAS are already in the environment and in our bodies, and we need to try and mitigate their impact on our health now. We haven’t found a way to destroy PFAS, but our findings open the possibility of developing ways to get them out of our bodies where they do the most harm.”

There is increasing concern about the environmental and health impacts of PFAS, and in April 2025 the UK launched a parliamentary inquiry into their risks and regulation.

There are over 4,700 PFAS chemicals in widespread use. Some get cleared out of the body in our urine in a matter of days, but others with a longer molecular structure can hang around in the body for years.

Dr Anna Lindell, a researcher at the University of Cambridge’s MRC Toxicology Unit and first author of the study said: “We’re all being exposed to PFAS through our water and food – these chemicals are so widespread that they’re in all of us.

“PFAS were once considered safe, but it’s now clear that they’re not. It’s taken a long time for PFAS to become noticed because at low levels they’re not acutely toxic. But they’re like a slow poison.”

Lindell and Patil have co-founded a startup, Cambiotics, with serial entrepreneur Peter Holme Jensen to develop probiotics that remove PFAS from the body, and they are investigating various ways of turbo-charging the microbes’ performance. Cambiotics is supported by Cambridge Enterprise, the innovation arm of the University of Cambridge, which helps researchers translate their work into globally-leading economic and social impact.

While we wait for new probiotics to become available, the researchers say the best things we can do to help protect ourselves against PFAS are to avoid PFAS-coated cooking pans, and use a good water filter.

The research was funded primarily by the Medical Research Council, National Institute for Health Research, and Wellcome.

At the world exhibition in Japan, the Thuringian research institute TITK Rudolstadt presented a polo shirt made from triple-recycled cellulose fiber. The fiber used is also TITK's innovation Lyohemp® – the first Lyocell fiber made from hemp pulp.

TITK's managing director, Benjamin Redlingshöfer, wore the polo shirt at the Expo in Osaka on June 17. During the Thuringia Country Days, he was interviewed on stage by presenter Marco Schreyl. Redlingshöfer proudly showed off his polo shirt with the “300% Recycling” print. This means that the shirt is made from a fiber that has undergone three consecutive recycling processes for the first time. And it did so so well that it could be easily processed into a fashionable polo shirt with excellent wearing comfort. “With our 300% recycled fiber, we are demonstrating that closed textile recycling loops are feasible thanks to our technology,” says Redlingshöfer. “This innovation proves that we can take recycling in the textile industry to a whole new level.” 

When textiles are recycled at all, it often involves what is known as downcycling. This means that the originally high-quality textile fibers are used to manufacture lower-quality textile products as part of material recycling. The fiber-to-fiber recycling pursued at TITK, however, aims to produce a recycled fiber from a high-quality textile fiber with the same high level of quality and the same good usage properties. But even in these recycling loops, only 20 to 40 percent of recycled materials are often mixed with a larger proportion of virgin grade material. 

“TITK has now impressively demonstrated that not only is 100 percent recycling of cellulose fibers possible, but that this process can even be used three times in a row without compromising the desired characteristics of the fiber, such as a pleasant, soft feel, a slight sheen, and very good, uniform dyeability,” says Redlingshöfer. 

Recycling process also applicable to cotton
The result is a fully-fledged, sustainable product that now sets the standard for future recycling processes in the clothing industry. This will enable the consumption of new virgin-grade fibers to be drastically reduced in the future. This outstanding innovation was achieved thanks to a further adaptation of the very robust Lyocell process established at the institute – specifically in terms of pulp extraction and pretreatment, says Redlingshöfer. “In principle, this recycling loop can also be applied to cotton fibers as the raw material.” TITK invites industry partners to work together on the further development and implementation of these technologies. 

Under the banner of the Demonstration and Innovation Center for Textile Circular Economy (DICE), which was founded at the Rudolstadt institute and is currently under construction, developments in the holistic recycling of textiles are already being driven forward. TITK researchers are now transferring findings from the Lyohemp® recycling project to so-called polycotton textiles, whereby the two material streams of synthetic and cellulosic fibers are additionally separated in order to then recombine them into a material quality suitable for fiber spinning (fiber-to-fiber recycling).

“However,” adds the institute director, “we cannot rely solely on technological solutions to absolve us of our responsibility to use our resources responsibly.” For good reason, the RRR rule often cited in the circular economy has two additional Rs before recycling: reduce and reuse – in other words, consume less and reuse more. Redlingshöfer: “Only in combination with a more conscious use of our raw materials will we be able to make a significant contribution to practical sustainability.”