PubMed · 2026-02-15
Scientists discovered a soil bacterium that can break down 'forever chemicals' (PFAS) — toxic industrial compounds that persist in soil and water for decades. By feeding the microbe specific nutrients, the team coaxed it into dismantling two PFAS molecules, releasing harmless fluoride ions in the process.
Sphingopyxis sp. strain NJF-3 released 873 μM of fluoride from 1 mM of a fluorinated compound within 7 days, demonstrating strong defluorination capacity.
Adding 3,3-dimethylacrylic acid as a co-substrate boosted breakdown of one PFAS type (TFEA), degrading 27.3 μM over 28 days; ammonium acetate enabled 183 μM degradation of a second PFAS type (SFCA) over 60 days.
Genomic and chemical analysis revealed the bacterium dismantles PFAS via a β-oxidation pathway with hydroxylation-dehydration steps — the first clear mechanistic picture of how a pure microbial culture achieves C–F bond cleavage.