Tumors Prevalent in Anacostia's Fish
Rate Rivals Highest Recorded for U.S. River; Vehicle Pollution Blamed

By Monte Reel
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 11, 2004; Page B01

Fish in the Anacostia River have cancerous tumor rates that are as high as ever documented in an American river, and a U.S. government-led study to be published next month links the tumors to pollution caused by vehicle emissions and runoff.

Fifty to 68 percent of mature brown bullhead catfish collected in 2001 from three parts of the river in the city had liver tumors, most of which were cancerous, according to the study led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In addition to the liver tumors, 13 to 23 percent of the bullheads had skin tumors, scientists found.

"It says that there are serious problems with the health of the fish and that it's a highly polluted system that needs a lot of work," said Fred Pinkney, co-author of the study and a scientist in the Chesapeake Bay field office of the Fish and Wildlife Service.

The study, scheduled for publication in the March issue of the scientific journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, links the liver tumors to changes in the DNA of the fish. Those DNA changes were, in turn, linked to polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) -- contaminants that often come from fossil fuels, most commonly in the form of settled vehicle emissions and runoff.