NC Pure advances PFAS substances removal technology in North Carolina waters 

September 13, 2024

Dr. Orlando Coronell, a professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the Gillings School, is teaming up with Dr. Frank Leibfarth from the Department of Chemistry at UNC-Chapel Hill to engineer solutions to one of North Carolina’s most pressing

Associate Professor Coronell studies basic and applied aspects of technologies for clean water and energy applications.

environmental concerns: contamination by per- and polyfluroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water.  

PFAS are persistent chemicals that accumulate in the environment and our bodies and have been detected in many water sources across North Carolina. With $10 million funding from the North Carolina General Assembly, the NC Pure project is posed to improve upon ways to address PFAS contamination. 

The goal of NC Pure is to assess the performance of a range of PFAS removal technologies in various water environments.  

Coronell and Leifarth previously led a study, published in Angewandte Chemie. The study identified a type of polymer network called Ionic Fluorogels, which combine ionic and fluorous components to act as filters for removing PFAS from water. These materials were shown to effectively remove 21 legacy and emerging PFAS from natural water. They are also able to be reused.  

To implement this engineering solution in real-world conditions, Dr. Coronell is currently leading a pilot project where these ionic fluorogels are being put to the test. Pilot testing is occurring locally at the Orange Water and Sewer Authority in Carrboro and at Cape Fear Public Utility Authority’s Sweeney Water Treatment Plant in Wilmington. If effective at this scale, these gels could transform the way treatment centers filter PFAS, which has important implications as state and federal agencies strive to regulate PFAS in water.  

These findings pave the way for safer, cleaner waters in North Carolina and beyond.