PCB's - Danger to fish and us?

[Cichlid_Man]

I have a serious question here regarding PCB's.
I just noticed a new sign down by the river stating a warning that the James River has PCB's and fish should not be eaten from those waters.
Well, I live right off the river and I have a well.
I assume the river feeds my well.
It hasn't been determined yet if my well water has PCB's, but if it does, they are telling me I need an activated carbon filtration system for the well.

How does all of this effect my fish?
Could that be the problem all along when I was doing large water changes??

The health department tells me that it is rare that PCB's enter the well, but I don't know if I can trust them .
Thanks!

[Drumachine09]

Stupid question: What is a PCB?

[Cichlid_Man]

PCB's are Polychlorinated biphenyls.
Man-made chemicals. They were widely used in electrical equipment, in industrial processes, and in the manufacture and recycling of carbonless copy paper until research revealed that they pose risks to human health, wildlife and the natural environment. The federal government banned the production of PCBs in 1976, but PCB contamination remains widespread in the environment today because of improper disposal of products containing the chemicals and byproducts of the processes used to make such products.

[cocoa_pleco]

could be. in 04, the saskatchewan river flooded, and chemicals were released and it was on the news not to add water from the tap for a few weeks, used bottled water.
Theyre dangerous to fish.

[Cichlid_Man]

I kind of thought so.

I will have to get a carbon filtration system for my home.
With a 75 gallon tank, bottled water won't cut it for water changes, but I will get it for my own use.
Thanks!

[kimmers318]

Ugh.....that sounds like a fishkeepers nightmare! If you do want to try to get some safe water for your aquarium see if you have a bottling company close by. When I was using RO water, I purchased a few 5 gal bottles of it and then was able to go down and refill them for $.25 a gallon. It was a pain, but I would do it again if I thought my water was contaminated. I am pretty sure you can get regular filtered tap water besides getting RO or distilled so that you wouldn't be messing up your current water.
Good luck!

[Lady Hobbs]

I would ask for a water test just to ease your own mind.

[Sasquatch]

I would ask for a water test just to ease your own mind.

Yeah, get the water tested before you go off buying all sorts of equipment. I don't know who does it in your area, but the city/county should be able to recommend someone, or look under Water or Environmental in the Yellow Pages.

In any case, it shouldn't be a problem for aquarium fish. Most of the danger from PCB comes from biomagnification up the food chain. That's where at every step in the food chain, the concentration of the chemical get higher and higher.

Since you're feeding your fish with prepared diets, they shouldn't be accumulating dangerous levels of PCBs. The reason for the advisory against eating fish is that the fish we eat are generally top predators and therefore high up the food chain. That means that they'll contain levels that could affect human health.

Basically, don't worry. If you're fish aren't acting weird or dying without reason, you shouldn't have a problem with PCB's.

But don't eat your fish, just in case.:ezpi_wink1:

[Cichlid_Man]

Man, I just had my well tested, but never thought of testing for PCB's.

I will get it done.
My fish are fine, and no, I don't plan on eating them :22:

Always something, huh?

The county tells me RARELY do PCB's filter on down to the private wells.

I will soon see!
Thanks to all1

[jeffs99dime]

yeah. ask your water company for a test of the water

[cocoa_pleco]

IT was a pain with the pcb's. My 20g hex ran out of water from a water change, and it was midnight, and I was taking water out of my 33g and putting it in and it was a major nightmare.