Vegetable Activated Charcoal for Human Consumption Reduces Selected PFAS Levels in a Bile Secretion Model: Cues on Its Possible Clinical Use

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are pollutants with relevant accumulation in humans, and the enterohepatic circulation of PFAS secreted in bile sustains their persistence. A significant increase in fecal excretion has been experimentally assessed with the use of oral adsorbents with negligible gut absorption. Here, we evaluated in vitro the use of activated charcoal (AC) for human consumption, as sorption material for a panel of PFAS, such as, perfluoro-butanoic acid (PFBA), perfluoro-butanesulfonic acid (PFBS), perfluoro-hexanoic acid (PFHxA), perfluoro-hexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluoro-octanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluoro-octanesulfonic acid (PFOS), in an experimental simulated bile juice (SBJ). The aim was to obtain preliminary data for possible clinical applications to reduce PFAS blood levels in humans. PFAS concentrations in experimental samples were quantified by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. In kinetic tests, equimolar solutions of single PFAS in SBJ were incubated with AC at 37 °C up to 120 min, and the time-dependent reduction of PFAS concentration was monitored. In thermodynamic tests, PFAS solutions in SBJ were incubated at increasing concentrations with AC for 24 h at 37 °C and the concentrations at equilibrium evaluated. Results were finally fitted with available models in order to characterize the PFAS interaction with AC. All PFAS showed more than 80% sorption on activated charcoal from simulated bile juice within 120 min. This suggests rapid and nearly complete removal. Modeling analysis indicated that the pseudo-first-order kinetic model best described short-chain PFAS, while PFOS and PFOA fitted better with the Elovich model. Thermodynamic analysis showed a general fitting with the Freundlich model, presumptive of a heterogeneous binding model. PFOS binding was concentration-dependent and was better described by the Sips model. These data are suggestive of a potential noninvasive intervention strategy to increase fecal PFAS excretion through the dietary use of AC, in order to mitigate health issues associated with PFAS exposure.