23 Feb 2006

Toxins in Guam lagoon lead to advice not to take fish

2:30 pm on 23 February 2006

People living near a lagoon in Guam are being advised not to eat fish after high levels of toxic chemicals were found in fish and soil samples.

The samples were taken by the US Coast Guard which used to have a base in the Cocos Lagoon.

They showed levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, which were up to two hundred and sixty five times higher than allowed by the US Environmental Protection Agency.

The Acting Administrator of the Guam Environmental Agency, Alex Soto said although PCBs have been linked to cancer, they have not issued a total ban on the fish.

"We have not done yet an official Seafood Advisory where it's a total ban, because this is preliminary results and we have to do quite a bit of good science to establish if, with certainty, the nature of the risk and the extent of the contamination."