Jordan Poler featured in WIRED’s article ‘How to Get PFAS Out of Drinking Water—and Keep It Out’
Jordan Poler, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Chemistry, was featured in WIRED’s article, “How to Get PFAS Out of Drinking Water—and Keep It Out.”
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals found in products like cleaning sprays, nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing and firefighting foam. They are known as “forever chemicals” because they are difficult to break down and can accumulate in the environment and human body.
For decades, the Chemours (formerly DuPont) chemical plant in Cape Fear, North Carolina manufactured these “forever chemicals.” The chemicals ultimately ended up in the Cape Fear River and connected waterways, leading to ongoing lawsuits due to environmental and public health concerns.
“North Carolina’s still dealing with that,” said Poler. “It’s a huge challenge for the people here.”
Filters in water pitchers or under-sink systems can capture PFAS, but are not a permanent solution.
“A lot of these media, you throw them in the landfill and they’re just going to leach everything back out,” Poler explained.
To help solve this problem, the Poler Research Group is pioneering a new PFAS filtration system that is able to suck the chemicals back out of the filter in order to dispose of them safely. This would remove the PFAS permanently, preventing future contamination.
This is critical, as a 2025 study published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology details how residents in areas with high levels of PFAS in the drinking water are already more likely to be diagnosed with certain cancers, including oral, lung and brain cancer.