Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) are awarding nearly $2.2 million to seven universities to study the effects of plants on contaminated soil.

The research will study phytoremediation, the use of plants to degrade, remove or stabilize toxic compounds from contaminated soil and water, which is estimated to be less costly than traditional cleanup techniques.

Through its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, the EPA will award grants to the University of California, Riverside; the University of Connecticut, Storrs; and Washington State University, Pullman.

Through its Integrative Plant Biology and Environmental Engineering/Environmental Technology programs, the NSF will award grants to Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.; Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.; and a joint grant to Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill., and the University of Florida, Gainesville.