Research Product

In April 1969 we detected a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), AroclorŪ 1254, in oysters near Devils Point in Escambia Bay, Florida. Subsequently, residues were found in blue crabs, fish, sediment, and water. The source of this PCB was traced to an accidental leak from a local industry on Escambia River, 20 kilometers above initial sampling site. AroclorŪ 1254 entered the river from the plant's weir and was carried downstream into Escambia Bay and contiguous waters. The leak was stopped in August 1969 after the plant was notified of the problem. This brief report summarizes the concentrations of PCB's in oyster tissue (Crassostrea virginica) observed from April 1969 to June 1976 at three locations in the estuary.