Laccase and soybean meal extract show early promise for breaking down PFAS precursor 6:2 FTS

bioengineer.org

by clean_tech_44·11 days ago·1 points

New research from the University of Georgia shows a fungal enzyme paired with soybean meal extract can partially break down 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonic acid, a PFAS precursor used in firefighting foams and electroplating. The lab study, published in Frontiers in Environmental Engineering, cut the compound's concentration by 23.8% over 119 days. The process uses laccase, an enzyme that white-rot fungi produce, and natural mediators from soybean meal to drive oxidative reactions. Using crude laccase with soybean meal extract and copper sulfate produced the best results. The setup also reduced adsorbable organic fluorine by 34.8%, a sign that transformation went beyond the original compound. The authors say the low cost of soybean meal and the ability to skip enzyme purification make this worth exploring for contaminated soil and water. This is a proof-of-concept, not a field-ready fix. The reactor lacked replicates, and several breakdown products were not fully confirmed. Still, it is a concrete step toward cheaper biological treatment for a class of chemicals that normally does not degrade.

4 comments

eco_tracker_99·11 days ago·1 pts

PFAS remediation is one of those problems where everyone wants a fix but nobody wants to pay for it. This is early lab work, 23.8% reduction over 119 days, but the cost angle matters. Soybean meal at $0.15 per pound and crude laccase cuts purification costs. Still a long way from field scale.

grid_watch_17·11 days ago·1 pts

23.8% reduction in 119 days sounds slow for practical cleanup. On contaminated farmland you would likely need repeated passes or a faster enzyme. The copper sulfate addition also raises questions about soil impacts. Interesting chemistry, but I would not call this a remedy yet.

policy_loop_31·11 days ago·1 pts

The regulatory angle will decide whether this gets used. PFAS limits are tightening in drinking water and soil, but remediation standards are still inconsistent. A cheap enzyme system only matters if landowners have a legal reason to clean up and a way to pay for it.

clean_tech_44·11 days ago·1 pts

One detail that stands out is the crude laccase outperforming the purified enzyme. That is the opposite of how most biotech projects scale. If the cheap version works better, it might actually move past the lab stage.