WASHINGTON - If you're thinking about fishing in area waterways, you need to be aware that there are some fish that you can't eat.
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other chemical contaminants continue to be found in certain fish species caught in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
They are found in parts of the Anacostia and Potomac rivers.
PCBs, which haven't been manufactured since the 1970s, are in the sediments of the Potomac, says Joe Hoffman, executive director of the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin.
Long-term exposure to potentially carcinogenic PCBs can result in respiratory and gastrointestinal problems, as well as developmental problems, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The D.C. Department of Health says you should avoid bottom-feeding fish -- catfish, carp and eel -- caught in the Potomac and Anacostia rivers and their tributaries.
Virginia's advisorys for catfish or carp caught in the Potomac and its tributaries extend to the following areas: Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax County, Prince William County, Stafford County and King George County.
You can eat largemouth bass, but D.C. suggests limiting intake to a half-pound per month. A half-pound per week is the suggested maximum for sunfish.
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