As a method to remove benzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P] from soil, we employed a process in which B(a)P-contaminated field soil under ethanol washing with distillation. A multistage cascade washing process was applied. Initial B(a)P concentration was 65.3 mg(.)kg(-1) in soil and washing conditions were 30 degreesC using a 1:3 ratio of ethanol to soil. After five washings, the amount of B(a)P in each soil was concentrated in ethanol by the distillation process such that the resultant level was <5 mg-B(a)P(.)kg(-1) in soil, which is the Netherlands soil standard for maximum tolerable risk.