FY00 Phytoremediation of Trichloroethylene and Perchloroethylene in the Southern Sector of SRS

This treatability study addresses the fate of volatile organic contaminants (VOCs) in an experiment that simulates a vegetated seepline supplied with trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE) -contaminated groundwater. The primary objective is to determine how the trees uptake TCE and PCE, accumulate it, and/or transform it. Phytoremediation is the use of vegetation for the treatment of contaminated soils, sediments, and water. Phytoremediation is an emerging technology that promises effective and inexpensive cleanup of certain hazardous wastes. Experimental focus is on the removal of VOCs from the groundwater by phytoremediation or associated soil microorganisms. The removal of chlorinated ethenes by phytoremediation and monitored natural attenuation (MNA) using these technologies at the field scale is ongoing.