CAPTURE – Feasibility of Next Generation Sustainable Composite Adsorbents to Capture and Remove Short-Chain PFAS (Forever Chemicals) from Drinking Water

Recipient organisation

PURE CAPTURE INNOVATIONS LTD

Project reference

10192643

Funder

Innovate UK

Programme

Innovate UK Growth Catalyst – Investor Partnerships Round 2

Award value

£92,366

Project dates

1 Jul 2026 – 30 Jun 2027

Imported sector

Advanced Manufacturing Lvl3

Postcode area

OX (OX3 8SB)

Project status

Live

Source data quality

Description present in snapshot

Official project description

Pure Capture Innovations Ltd is developing the next generation of sustainable adsorbents to capture and destroy Micro Pollutants (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), pesticides, micro-plastics, hormones & pharmaceuticals) in drinking water. Today, coal-derived Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) is used to improve the colour and taste of our water. Carbon filtration has been used for centuries. Meanwhile, over the past few decades, ever more potent, robust, and active chemicals have been developed for modern applications, including pesticides, pharmaceuticals, dyes, and fire retardants. These materials have entered our water from users and through the dilution of waste during manufacturing. We, as a society, are now beginning to understand how low concentrations of these persistent micro-pollutants affect our health. The water industry is becoming increasingly regulated to protect societies from micropollutants, and there are calls for industries to develop and publish water-impact case studies for new projects. This project addresses the urgent need to develop new classes of advanced composite materials to tackle increasingly complex pollutants and keep our water safe. This feasibility study is designed to demonstrate the commercial viability of new sustainable composite materials that will remove 10 MtCO2e/Yr from waste biomass during manufacturing, whilst removing and destroying micropollutants from our water during use. The approach offers the option to valorise sewerage sludge within the water industry to avoid its effects on our food chain; access to low-temperature catalytic PFAS destruction to avoid high-temperature incineration; and, when materials are spent, repurposing them in the built environment to avoid landfill. Alternative and existing technologies lack commercial viability for the scale of the problem the water industry faces. Existing materials require lower flows or increased capacity to meet regulatory limits, but are hampered by available footprint at treatment works, capital investment, and access to high-temperature recycling facilities. Other technologies lack sustainability because they have high energy costs during use or disposal, generate hazardous waste streams, or simply return pollutants to the environment. Other technologies developed for polishing clean water for industries such as pharmaceuticals and electronics lack scalability, are prone to fouling, and are expensive. This project will demonstrate the feasibility of a new class of advanced composite materials that offers a scalable, commercially viable solution for the global water industry. Materials that can be licensed, manufactured from local supply chains and used as drop-in replacements for existing filtration media with targeted selectivity for the most problematic micropollutants in each water catchment.