Across the globe, 2.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water, according to the World Health Organization. It’s a big issue for North Carolina, where at least 2.5 million people drink water that environmental groups contend has been contaminated by toxic chemicals.
Jordan Poler, a chemistry professor for more than 30 years at UNC Charlotte, is addressing the problem with a startup that commercializes his research on removing harmful contaminants from drinking water at the molecular level.
The professor’s focus on water purification dates to 2014, when Flint, Michigan, faced a public health crisis after the city switched its water source from the Detroit municipal system to the Flint River. Researchers found that excessive carbon levels in the water ate away at household pipes, causing lead exposure to an estimated 140,000 residents, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Poler’s research team received its first patent in the water treatment sector for a design that tackled the root cause of the issue, namely removing carbon. The work was effective at addressing a wide spectrum of contaminants, including pesticides and heavy metals, though Poler didn’t pursue commercializing that research. Many contaminants are commonly described as “forever” chemicals, or PFAs. The acronym stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, including thousands of man-made chemicals used in consumer products and manufacturing since the 1940s.
The problem hit closer to home for Poler in 2017, when Chemours (formerly DuPont), was found responsible for discharging PFAs into the Cape Fear River from its large Fayetteville plant in southeastern North Carolina. A key problem was a PFA called GenX, most notably found in nonstick cookware like Teflon. The river supplies drinking water to more than 500,000 households, including an estimated 7,000 private drinking water wells.
Rather than carbon removal, Poler pivoted to focus on studying materials and obtaining patents to specifically extract PFAs. His work launched an entrepreneurial venture beyond the lab called nanXPure, with an office in Huntersville in Mecklenburg County.
He was joined by Dana Hicks, a business consultant with a long history in the water filtration and engineering industries, to form nanXPure. Hicks is a former CEO of Huber Technology, a German-owned company that serves the water and wastewater industries. Its North American headquarters is in Denver, Lincoln County.
The duo has raised about $1 million in grants from the National Science Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency, and NCInnovation, the Durham-based group that helps transition academic research into commercial applications. nanXPure received a $400,000 grant from NCInnovation, which has provided $13.5 million to inventors since its debut.
“Our goal is to disrupt the point-of-use drinking water industry with our regenerable and reusable media and devices,” Poler says.
The technology relies on zeolites, a nontoxic mineral that is often used in air purifiers or soil treatments. When placed in a reactor and bonded to a lab-created polymer, the process leads to a slight positive charge, which combats the negative charge found in PFAs and pesticides. Opposites attract, so the PFAs can literally be filtered out of water within seconds.
The chemistry is water-based, and the process doesn’t produce hazardous waste.
For testing, nanXPure is partnering with Goulston Technologies, a specialty chemical manufacturer based in Monroe. Poler credits Goulston Chief Financial Officer Srinivasan Ranganathan for his leadership and strong partnership with UNC Charlotte.
The company’s water purification devices and media have passed the National Sanitation Foundation International’s standard testing methods. Now, nanXPure is working with Goulston to expand 50 kilogram batches tenfold, thereby making the product
commercially viable.
Poler’s hope is to start pilot production by this summer or fall. The initial target market is selling a filter that can be easily installed in most household refrigerators. Down the road, nanXPure envisions selling its product to municipal water systems.
Over the years, Poler has mentored dozens of students, from high schoolers to UNC science and engineering students ranging from bachelor’s to the Ph.D. level. He emphasizes the importance of the scientific method and fundamental research. His current effort bridges the gap between scientific innovation and business.
The entrepreneurial venture has reminded Poler that he is first and foremost a scientist. “It was quite an awakening for me to learn how much I didn’t know,” he says. “Faculty are used to being the experts in the room. But when you’re talking with water treatment operators and technicians, you’re climbing a steep learning curve.”
His advice related to commercialization is straightforward. “Great ideas are easy,” Poler says. “Solving real problems for real people is what makes a business viable. And you can’t do it alone.” ■
