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RALEIGH – N.C. State researchers are using a new process of phytoremediation to clean up a Coast Guard site contaminated by fuels in Elizabeth City. At their lab in Raleigh they devised the plan that can eliminate pollutants by simply planting trees.

"We put trees on a contaminated site; in our case petroleum products,” explained Rachel Cook, NCSU research student. “What the trees do is they do two things. One is slow the ground water from moving to the river, from taking the contamination off site and polluting the river.

"The other thing they do is they created a better soil environment for microbes to actually start breaking down the petroleum."

The results of the research could impact the entire state if applied. Phytoremediation could help clean up local farms, waterways and landfills.

“As we get runoff from the landfill in the rainfall events, the trees help to preserve the soils and the other vegetation that we have in and around the landfill,” explained Thomas Esqueda, environmental services director. “It kind of serves as a buffer when that rainfall comes pouring down and helps us reduce the amount of sediment that leaves off the side."

Added Cook: "Phytoremediation is not just for any one type of contaminate. If you have a lead mine near your area, if you have heavy metal contaminations from other mining operations, if you have explosives from military testing, if you have a lot of nutrient problems or sediment problems."

Those are problems that researchers say you don’t have to work in a lab to address.

"This is technology that is absolutely people friendly because if you can plant a tree you can do phytoremediation."