Kepone in James River fish: 1976–2002

In late 1975, it was discovered that a manufacturing facility had not only exposed workers to the chlorinated pesticide, Kepone, but had also severely contaminated the James River estuary. To assess the potential for the public to be exposed to Kepone through the consumption of contaminated seafood, the Commonwealth of Virginia initiated a finfish-monitoring program in late 1975. Over 13,000 samples have been collected and analyzed as part of this effort. Kepone levels in most species began falling when the production of Kepone ended, but the average concentrations remained over the action limit of 0.3 Ag g 1 wet weight until the early 1980s. By 1988 few fish contained Kepone concentrations greater than the action limit. Kepone is still detected in the majority of white perch and striped bass samples taken from the James River and a fish consumption advisory is still in effect thirty years after the source of contamination was removed.