Assessments of the efficacy of a long-term application of a phytoremediation system using hybrid poplar trees at former oil tank farm sites.

A poplar tree-phytoremediation system was installed at former refinery and tank farm sites in Cabin Creek, West Virginia, to cleanup petroleum-contaminated-soils and groundwater. Groundwater and soils in both sites were sampled and analyzed on a regular basis to monitor changes in contaminant concentration since 1999. The concentration of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, and gasoline range organics (GRO) decreased an average of 81%, 90%, 67%, 78%, and 82%, respectively, in the lower soil horizons and 34%, 84%, 12%, 19%, and 59%, respectively, in groundwater.