Apyron Technologies of Atlanta, Georgia, this month hosted a delegation of public health officials from India to visit with U.S. experts in the remediation of arsenic in groundwater. The trip was part of a two-week tour designed and implemented by the Environmental Exchange Program of the Institute of International Education (IIE), and sponsored by the United States�Asia Environmental Partnership (US-AEP).

Apryon was selected as the Atlanta host as a result of its initial work in arsenic removal in West Bengal. As part of the visit, the group met with the Chairman of the Georgia State Department of Industry and Trade, Mr. R.K. Sehgal, and visited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Carter Center.

"The high concentrations of arsenic in drinking water is an international problem, especially in India and Bangladesh where naturally occurring arsenic contamination has evolved into a major health crisis affecting millions of people," states Apyron�s Chief Executive Officer Rom Papadopoulos. "The crisis has drawn the attention of national and local governments, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, multilateral lending institutions, as well as agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and their international counterparts." Rural communities throughout India and Bangladesh obtain their drinking water from small tube wells. Over three million of these tube wells are believed to contain arsenic exceeding levels considered safe by the WHO. In Bangladesh, it is reported that over 80% of the districts are affected and some experts call it the largest mass poisoning in history.

Apyron Technologies has spent the last five years developing solutions for removing arsenic and other toxic contaminants from air and water. The company has received international attention for its technology for removing arsenic from water. Apyron�s patented adsorptive media, Aqua-Bind� - Arsenic, selectively removes the two most common aqueous forms of arsenic. Papadopoulos continues, "Apyron has been field testing arsenic removal solutions in India and Bangladesh over the past 18 months in conjunction with RPM Marketing Pvt., Ltd. Our technology is extremely effective in reducing arsenic levels well below the WHO�s safe drinking water standard. In addition, the solution is very simple and relatively inexpensive to implement in rural areas. We are very honored to have gained the attention of such a respected delegation."

Apyron has developed a technology that can remove arsenic in concentrations ranging from the low levels generally found in most areas in the U.S. to the extremely high concentrations typically found in India and Bangladesh. Apyron�s patented technology utilizes a novel chemical process with customized adsorption properties for the particular contaminant(s) of interest. Known by the name Aqua-Bind^TM, Apyron�s technology is applicable to other heavy metal contaminants such as lead, iron, manganese, fluoride, uranium and many others.

Arsenic is a natural metal element found in the earth�s crust, usually in ancient rock formations. Arsenic enters the groundwater through erosion or from man-made sources, such as petroleum production, semiconductor manufacturing and agricultural use as feed additives and herbicides. Since arsenic is tasteless and odorless, special water tests are necessary to detect its presence.

Long-term, high level arsenic exposure may cause arsenocosis (most commonly manifested as skin lesions on the hands, feet or elsewhere), birth defects and developmental deficits, neurological disorders, and cancers of the lung, liver, bladder or other organs.

About the US-AEP: The Environmental Exchange Program of the Institute of International Education, a core contractor of the US-AEP, designs and implements environmental business visits between Asia and the U.S. Launched as a Presidential initiative in 1992, the US-AEP is a public-private initiative that promotes environmentally sustainable development in Asia. US-AEP is jointly implemented by several U.S. government agencies, under the leadership of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

In creating US-AEP, the White House recognized Asia�s growing commitment to sustainable development and America�s increasing eagerness to share its experience, technology, and management practices. US-AEP embodies a new model of cooperative development, one that encourages U.S.-Asian partnerships. With the participation of wide range of partners--governments, NGOs, academia, and the private sector--US-AEP has become a flexible, responsive vehicle for delivering timely answers to environmental questions. US-AEP currently works with governments and industries in 11 target economies: Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. For more information, please visit www.usaep.org.

Apyron Technologies, Inc., is a leading developer of advanced adsorbents, catalysts, catalyst supports and antimicrobials for a broad variety of water and air treatment applications worldwide. Apyron is located at 4030-F Pleasantdale Road, Atlanta, Georgia, 30340. For more information, please visit www.apyron.com.