The area includes the Clear Fork of the Trinity River from the Benbrook Reservoir Dam, and the West Fork from the Lake Worth Dam, through the main stem of the river downstream to the U.S. Highway 287 bridge on the Freestone-Anderson county line.
Testing found some fish had elevated levels of dioxins and polychlorinated byphenyls, or PCBs. Long-term consumption may cause cancer and other health problems.
PCBs are industrial chemicals once used as coolants and lubricants in electrical equipment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency banned PCBs in 1979, but items containing them did not have to be replaced. Dioxins are byproducts of combustion and industrial activity. Dioxins and PCBs degrade slowly in the environment.
DSHS says elevated levels of PCBs and dioxins in fish do not pose a health risk for people swimming or other water recreation.
DSHS is lifting two aquatic life orders that prohibited people from possessing fish from a smaller section of the Trinity River due to high levels of the pesticide chlordane. Levels of chlordane have dropped and are no longer a health concern. The fish consumption advisory still applies.
