A Plastivore GutSystem Enables In Vivo Biotransformationand Partial Defluorination of Perfluorooctanoic Acid

Abstract Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are highly persistent contaminants that resist biological degradation, hindering the development of sustainable remediation strategies. Here we reveal that plastivorous Tenebrio molitor larvae mediate gut-driven biotransformation and partial defluorination of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in vivo. Over 15 days, the apparent loss of extractable parent PFOA was 47.9% and 41.2% in the 0.5 g kg–1 and 20 g kg–1 PFOA dietary treatments, respectively. Control-corrected inorganic fluoride recovered from larval tissues and frass, together with the identification of shorter-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids, supported partial defluorination of up to 21.9% and was consistent with both C–F bond cleavage and carbon-chain shortening. Integrated next generation metabolomics (NGMpro) profiling and measurements of relative •OH-associated oxidative signals further showed that larvae reprogrammed metabolism and exhibited a dose-dependent restructuring of the gut redox environment. Low-PFOA conditions were associated with a comparatively coordinated energy and redox state, whereas high-PFOA conditions induced broader stress-associated metabolic reprogramming. These findings provide initial evidence for insect-associated PFOA biotransformation and partial defluorination, and identify plastivore gut systems as a promising biohybrid model for investigating the biological degradation of “forever chemicals” under mild conditions.