A groundwater treatment technology developed at the Kennedy Space Center has been named NASA's 2005 Government Invention of the Year.

The Emulsified Zero-Valent Iron, or EZVI, technology -- also named NASA 2005 Commercial Invention of the Year -- was developed by NASA researchers from Kennedy and the University of Central Florida.

The technology is used to remove environmental contaminants from ground water around industrial areas, such as rocket launch pads, and also provides a means to clean Superfund sites.

The process can reportedly limit both the time and costs associated with traditional methods used to clean areas contaminated with groundwater pollutants.

NASA said it has signed six non-exclusive licenses with companies to market and further develop EZVI.

Copyright 2006 by United Press International