(Dulles, VA, May 14, 2003) - Edenspace Systems Corporation today announced its receipt of a $70,000 research grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to demonstrate the feasibility of using the edenfern™ arsenic-hyperaccumulating fern to provide a cost-effective remediation alternative for soils contaminated with chromated copper arsenic (CCA), a widely-used wood preservative. A final report on the study is scheduled to be delivered in October 2003.

More than 70% of United States arsenic consumption, representing approximately 37 million pounds of arsenic per year, currently goes into the production of CCA. Weathered lumber in decks, docks, fences, playground equipment and garden retaining walls can leach significant amounts of arsenic into soil and water, where it poses health risks to humans and animals. Effective December 31, 2003, the USEPA will limit the use of CCA to treatment of wood in forest products, substantially reducing levels of new arsenic introduced into populated areas. The existing stock of CCA-treated wood products, however, will continue to leach arsenic for years to come. At present there is no cost-effective method to clean arsenic-contaminated soils.

Preliminary data demonstrate that when grown on an arsenic-contaminated soil, the edenfern™ achieves a biomass arsenic concentration more than 200 fold higher than that of any other plant species tested, and concentrates arsenic in its fronds at levels more than 50 times the soil concentration without the addition of chelating agents or other soil amendments. The fronds may then be harvested and removed, reducing disposal costs and allowing topsoil to be preserved. In a growth chamber at its headquarters, Edenspace will evaluate arsenic uptake by the fern in different CCA-contaminated site soils from around the country, assessing the effects of soil pH, light intensity and other variables on the efficiency of arsenic phytoextraction. A small field demonstration will be conducted concurrently at a CCA-contaminated site in Texas to demonstrate arsenic uptake and biomass production. The project will also explore two methods of concentrating and refining recovered arsenic for storage and future recycling, as well as the ability of the fern to reduce chromium (VI) in the soil to the insoluble and less hazardous chromium (III) form.

Successful results will lay the foundation for demonstration of the technique in yards, gardens and playgrounds, together with a recycling demonstration of recovered arsenic by one or more U.S. chemical manufacturers of CCA products. The research is expected to validate a demonstrated arsenic phytoextraction technique, accessible to homeowners as well as to environmental professionals, that uses commercially-available plants to provide cost-effective remediation of contaminated soils associated with the use of CCA-treated wood products.

Arsenic causes cancer, mutations and birth defects and also has been associated with the development of diabetes. The element was once widely used in insecticides in farming, gardening and ranching, as well as in CCA wood preservatives in lumber and furniture. In some parts of the world, arsenic occurs naturally in groundwater. Decades after arsenic is introduced into the environment, soil concentrations can be greater than 600 mg/kg. Because of its toxicity to humans, farm animals and household pets, the stability of its compounds in soil and groundwater, its once widespread use, and the lack of cost-effective remediation techniques, arsenic today constitutes a significant public health challenge.

The arsenic-extracting capabilities of the edenfern™ were discovered by a team of researchers led by Dr. Lena Ma of the University of Florida, which has patented the discovery. Edenspace has licensed use of the plant from the University to enable cost-effective commercial cleanup of arsenic from soil and water using the fern. Dr. Ma will serve as a consultant to Edenspace on this CCA research grant.

Headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, Edenspace Systems Corporation is a leader in the use of live plants to improve human health and help clean the environment. Its proprietary techniques employ plants to concentrate and remove lead, arsenic, radionuclides, chlorides (salts), hydrocarbons, and other minerals from water and soil. With expertise in plant science, soil science, genetics and agronomy, Edenspace is developing new markets for the restoration and enrichment of our surroundings.

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Note to Editors: For a JPEG photo showing edenfern™ "Victory" growing near pressure-treated lumber, please contact Dr. Blaylock.