Occurrence of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) on Suspended Sediment in the Donna Canal, Hidalgo County, Texas, 1999-2001

Some fish in the Donna Canal contain PCBs at levels that might pose a risk to human health if the fish are eaten. Early attempts to locate the source of PCBs in the canal were unsuccessful. An innovative method of sampling and analyzing suspended sediment helped scientists detect PCBs in suspended sediment and narrowed the probable PCB source area(s) from the entire 11-kilometer canal to a 600-meter reach.