Accumulation of polychlorinated biphenyls in Atlantic tomcod (Microgadus tomcod) collected from the Hudson River estuary, New York.

Abstract

The Hudson River estuary contains elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) throughout its course. HORN et al. (1979) estimated that almost 300 metric tons of residual PCBs are present in the sediments, a level of contamination exceeding other aquatic ecosystems in the United States (US EPA 1976). General Electric's capacitor manufacturing facilities in the upper river at Fort Edward and Hudson Falls, New York, were the major sources of PCBs (HETLING et al. 1979). Discharges of PCBs from these facilities were sharply curtailed in 1976 and terminated in June 1977. PCB concentrations in the Hudson estuary recently ranged from 4 to 6 ~g/g in the sediments and 0.0001 to 0.0011 mg/l in the water column.