Combining PFAS-exposed metagenome samples with PFAS elimination rate constants
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) persist in human-associated environments and present substantial inter-individual variation in contaminant elimination rates. Whether gut microbial composition and function is related to PFAS elimination exposed populations remains poorly defined. Using a drinking-water contamination scenario in Ronneby, Sweden, we integrated stool metagenomic profiling with toxicokinetic-derived PFAS compound-specific elimination rate constants, and in silico genome-scale metabolic modeling to generate pathway-level hypotheses for follow-up validation (n = 65; 47 exposed, 18 reference). Overall microbiome community structure was similar between groups, although PFAS-exposed samples showed greater between-individual dispersion and nominal shifts in taxa spanning mucosal- and fermentation-associated lineages. Taxon-level associations with serum PFAS and elimination rates were modest and did not show a consistent signature. In reconstructing microbiome community metabolic models, the most frequent patterns in association with PFAS elimination were functional and repeatedly involved bile acid-related processes, aromatic intermediates, and amino acid/polyamine metabolism. Together, these results motivate targeted follow-up of microbial pathways that may influence PFAS elimination.