Media Contact: Michael Mueller, (+01) 860.841.9138

University of Massachusetts Amherst and The Adventus Group Recognize Future Environmental Science Leaders

Remediation biotechnology firm announces winners of its annual Student Award Program

From left to right: Dr. Srirangam (Adventus), Mr. Owojori (Stellenbosch University),
Ms. Summers (UMass Amherst) Ms. de Freitas (University of Waterloo), Dr. Kostecki (UMass Amherst)

AMHERST, Mass. (October 29, 2008) - The Adventus Group, a world leader in the soil, sediment and groundwater bioremediation industry, once again joined the University of Massachusetts Amherst to recognize emerging environmental scientists during the 24th Annual International Conference on Soils, Sediments and Water held here recently. Three students were awarded $1,000 for the best overall platform and poster presentations by the Northeast Regional Environment Public Health Center and The School of Public Health.

This year's judging committee consisted of Scott Blaha (General Electric), Cynthia Cogan (ENSR AECOM), Jack Duggan (Wentworth Institute of Technology), Kenneth Lee (UMASS Lowell), Chris Mitchell (ENSR AECOM), Dawn Oliveira (EFI Global), Frank Peduto (Spectra Environmental), Paul Rakowski (Booz Allen Hamilton), Scott Saroff (VeruTEK) and was headed up by Dr. Ravi Srirangam of Adventus Group.

"For the fifth consecutive year, Adventus has recognized the value of fostering student involvement in industry events such as this conference," said Dr. Paul Kostecki, Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement at University of Massachusetts Amherst. "It is always encouraging to work with far-sighted firms that give back to the industry. This annual Student Award program is a superb way to bring the state-of-the-art information presented here to the next generation of scientists."

"These impressive young environmentalists all displayed superb thought leadership and presentation skills. Selecting the winning themes was extremely difficult, although the industry will surely be hearing more from these students in years ahead," said Dr. Srirangam of Adventus. "As our company continues to develop the next generation of remediation biotechnologies, it is our privilege to showcase the important role partnerships with the academic community and private sector organizations can play. The Adventus Group is committed to continue sponsoring this exciting event and congratulates all the participants - especially our award winners."

This year's contest winners were:

Ms. Juliana G. de Freitas of University of Waterloo, Canada, for her platform presentation on "Challenges for Ethanol Fuels Contaminated Sites Assessment".

Ms. Zarath M. Summers of UMASS Amherst, USA, for her platform presentation on "Adaptive Evolution: a Strategy for Better Understanding and Optimizing Environmental Biotechnologies."

Mr. Olugbenga J. Owojori of Stellenbosch University, South Africa, for his poster presentation on "Influence of Salinity on Uptake and Toxicity of Zinc in the Earthworm Eisenia Fetida".

The evaluation factors used to rate the presentations included: Topic Selection/Innovation, Research and Analysis Techniques Utilized, Presentation/Poster Organization and Structure, Quality of Presentation Materials and Communication of Presentation/Poster Content. Each presentation was ranked using a mathematical scale. Scores were tabulated by the Committee, with awards provided to three students possessing the highest total score.

About Adventus Group - Environmental Biotechnologies for the 21st Century

The Adventus Group provides a growing portfolio of leading environmental remediation technologies, including patented offerings from Adventus Americas Inc., and EnviroMetal Technologies Inc. Our business model supports site owners, environmental engineers, consultants, regulators, and the academic community by providing unbiased design, and selection of the most cost-effective remediation strategies.

Adventus exclusively offers DARAMEND®, EHC® and related ZVI technologies for In Situ Chemical Reduction (ISCR) along with TERRAMEND®, AQUABLOK+™, EHC-O™, O-SOX™, and mGCW™ systems to address myriad soil, sediment and groundwater impacts. Our world-class technical team is a clearly recognized industry leader. Since its inception in 2003, Adventus has successfully deployed field installations at hundreds of sites across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.

The Adventus family of companies is always seeking strategic partnerships with complementary remediation biotechnologies, and qualified international licensees in numerous countries. For more information contact Michael Mueller at or visit us online at www.AdventusGroup.com or www.eti.ca.

About University of Massachussets Amherst

Located on 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, The University of Massachusetts Amherst is the flagship campus of the Commonwealth's University system. UMass Amherst is a major research university enrolling 24,000 students, from all 50 United States and more than 100 countries. Its 10 schools and colleges offer 88 undergraduate majors, 68 master's and 48 doctoral programs. Sponsored research activities total more than $100 million a year.