March 2016, Vol. 71, No. 3
Newsline
Known Automotive Inventor Finds Connection With Flint Water Solution
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — A local entrepreneurial group has discovered a practical solution to address the lead contamination that has raised alarm in the city of Flint and across the United States — and it all started with reinforced hose.
As widely reported in the media, lead leaching from pipes in Flint’s water system has as much as doubled blood levels of the neurotoxin among children in parts of the city. Norman Martucci, mechanical engineer, inventor and manufacturer of a patented reinforced hose used to carry fuel in automotive, marine, and aerospace applications, sat down with Ken Kohn, Steven Kohn, and GreeningDetroit.com duo Cathleen Francois and John Carlos to initially discuss the procurement of a future manufacturing plant. As the conversation leaned toward the process and materials of the newly improved hose, the development of a lined pipe that can eliminate any toxic leaching in a water system.
“The lining is made of Tefzel, a type of Teflon,” said Ken Kohn, an intellectual property attorney specializing in biotechnology and partner in their newly formed company Pipe Problem Solutions (PPS). “In addition to providing a complete barrier between the pipe and the water flow, the lined pipe also possesses better internal flow characteristics than standard pipes and will not be subject to bio-slime growth.” (Bio-slime or biofilm refers to the layer of microbial cells that attach to surfaces in moist environments.)
Martucci’s career as a mechanical engineer spans over 35 years. He was working for Teleflex in the late 1980s when GM vehicles were having fuel-related thermal events from faulty hoses. His solution was to create a hose still used today in 100 percent of General Motors vehicles as well as many other companies who use all types of fuel in different engines. The hose is compatible with all types of fuels, including multi-fuels. It also is impervious to all engines temperatures, which resulted in zero fuel related recalls.
The same technology used to produce PPS pipes can be used to retrofit pipes that still have sufficient structural integrity, an additional advantage in a crisis where time and cost are critical. Pipes with insufficient integrity, however, will need to be completely replaced. The process can also be used to create a hose for instant bypass linkage in emergency situations. It’s standards, integrity and durability are higher than any other known technology today.
“Our technology is the first to fill the need for an effective and financially conscientious solution to a major public crisis,” Martucci said. Beyond the travesty of the avoidable exposure of children to unsafe levels of lead, the case of Flint has become a lightning rod in the current election season because it exemplifies problems that stretch far beyond a single city.
The potential applications of PPS technology also extend beyond the American context. For instance, a recent article in the Journal of Global Biosciences said biofilm costs countries billions of dollars in equipment and machine maintenance, increased water distribution costs, and adverse health effects from drinking water quality.
At present, the PPS group have filed a patent application and aim to partner with the State of Michigan, affected counties, and other state entities to immediately obtain start-up funding, set up strategic partnerships with pipe manufacturers, and immediately begin alleviating the water problem in Flint.
“We have had a very positive meeting with the Oakland County Water Commissioner and one of his engineers, and we have been introduced to the company presently assigned to the Flint pipe project,” said Kohn. “We have now been assured that the information has reached the governors office and hopefully he will want a role in being part of the solution.”
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