Biotechnologies for removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in biosolids: Current status and challenges.
Hoang HG, Chacha WE, Binh QA, Mukherjee S, Jiang Y
Phytoremediation
Sewage sludge commonly spread on farm fields and parks as fertilizer carries toxic 'forever chemicals' that can be absorbed by the vegetables and fruits you eat — and current removal methods are far from complete.
Sewage treatment plants produce a byproduct called biosolids (essentially treated sludge) that gets spread on agricultural land as fertilizer, but it carries 'forever chemicals' — man-made substances that almost never break down and can accumulate in living things. Scientists have found certain bacteria and fungi that can destroy up to 80-90% of these chemicals under ideal lab conditions, and some plants absorb them through their roots. However, we still don't fully understand how these chemicals move through soil and into our food supply over time.
Key Findings
Certain bacteria (Dehalobacter spp. and Gordonia spp.) can degrade PFAS at efficiencies of 80-90% under optimized laboratory conditions.
Research is heavily concentrated in China (31%), Europe (30%), and North America (16%), leaving major knowledge gaps for South America, Oceania, and Africa.
Long-chain PFAS compounds preferentially accumulate in plant roots, while shorter-chain variants travel more readily into above-ground plant tissues.
chevron_right Technical Summary
A review of research on 'forever chemicals' (PFAS) in sewage sludge finds that bacteria and plants can partially break down these toxic compounds, but major gaps in knowledge remain about long-term risks to soil and food systems.
Abstract Preview
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), widely recognized as "forever chemicals," pose significant environmental management challenges due to their persistence, mobility, and bioaccumulative be...
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