WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - Delaware officials have relaxed several fish consumption advisories after learning that concentrations of toxic chemicals are decreasing in a variety of species, including striped bass and bluefish.
The News Journal reports that years of statewide contamination clean-up efforts have led to improved water quality, which allows people to eat more fish caught in local waterways.
Delaware has watched contaminant concentrations in fish tissues since 1986, primarily focusing on mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), the banned insecticide DDT, and chemicals used in herbicides, pesticides and other products. Those pollutants are known to bio-accumulate in fish and humans.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control said in a news release that some waters have seen PCB concentrations in fish drop by as much as 60 percent.
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Information from: The News Journal of Wilmington, Del., http://www.delawareonline.com
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