PCB contamination found in James River

Recent tests found high levels of toxic chemicals called PCBs in the James River and some tributaries between Richmond and Hopewell.

In some cases, levels of the chemicals were hundreds of times higher than the state limit, state officials said.

The PCBs pose a threat to fish but not people, unless people eat contaminated fish, said Bill Hayden, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Quality.

The DEQ disclosed the test results yesterday.

High levels also were found in the Elizabeth River watershed in southeastern Virginia.

PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are old industrial chemicals considered a probable cause of cancer.

State officials have known about PCBs in the James for some time. The Virginia Department of Health has warned the public for nearly a decade about high levels of PCBs in carp, some catfish and other fish.

The warnings, or advisories, cover the James from Big Island, near the Blue Ridge Parkway, to Hampton Roads near the coast.

But for years, DEQ officials said PCBs were not a concern in water. They said the chemicals could not be detected but typically fell to the bottom. Fish got tainted by feeding off the bottom or by eating bottom feeders.

Recent improvements in water tests, Hayden said, now allow scientists to detect the chemicals in tiny amounts -- parts per quadrillion -- in water.

The limit for PCBs in water is 640 parts per quadrillion. The James River water tests, results of which came back in early September, found some PCB levels as high as 434,000 parts per quadrillion, Hayden said. Most were in the 2,000to 5,000-ppq range, but some tested as high as 18,000 ppq.

The highest levels were found in tributaries including Almond Creek , Gillie Creek and the Kanawha Canal in the Richmond area, and Bailey Creek, Gravelly Run and Poythress Run in the Hopewell area.

PCBs are oily, synthetic chemicals once used to insulate transformers and other electrical equipment. The manufacturing of PCBs was stopped in the U.S. in 1977, but the tough chemicals persist for decades.

While much of the James River contamination surely is decades old, PCBs still may be seeping into the river from old dumps or spill sites.

"It appears that it's an ongoing process where it continues to enter the river," Hayden said.

The tests are part of a DEQ study of PCBs in the river. The study, which began in spring, could take years and should lead to plans for a cleanup.

The DEQ is conducting hundreds of similar studies on polluted river sections across Virginia.

Contact Rex Springston at (804) 649-6453 or .