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Jan 26, 2006 2:45 pm US/Eastern
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Cancer Controversy In Maryland Catfish
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) ―
State biologists are at a loss to explain exactly what's causing cancer in brown bullhead catfish in the South River, south of Annapolis.
More than half of them sampled in the river had skin tumors. And one-fifth of the South River bullheads also had liver cancer.
While experts believe the fish are being exposed to cancer-causing chemicals, it's not known where those chemicals are coming from.
Drew Koslow, Riverkeeper for the South River Federation, says the cancer is cause for alarm.
"When you find high cancer rates in your fish out here in the South River, with no industry, that's something to be concerned about," he told
WJZ's Alex DeMetrick.
The Fish and Wildlife Service hopes to try to identify the carcinogen, if it can get more money for the research.
The study released this week was funded in part by the South River Federation. Bullheads are bottom feeders, living and eating where pollutants accumulate.
(© 2005 CBS Worldwide Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Information from The Washington Post.)