Pollutants in the Columbia River have been a concern to many for decades. The EPA has been compiling data on the types and amounts of pollutants since the early 90's. The EPA has found that even after years of being banned DDT is still prevalent in fish found in the Columbia Basin, Willamette and Snake rivers. The amounts are well above the safe limits to humans.

PCB's are chemicals that were used in several industries in the past but are now outlawed, PCB's are found in high concentrations around the Portland area, along with various urban areas as well, the contamination is generally from run off sits where industries were sited.
Consumer products are now the "new" host of problem contaminates, mercury and fire retardants have been increasing steady over the last several years all-adding to the high level of unacceptable toxins that have contaminated our waterways.

Humans are not the only species that are having trouble living with the contamination of our waters, salmon have been adversely affected and are having a hard time surviving in the polluted waters of the Columbia River, while we have spent hundreds of millions trying to restore and save the species. We are killing them off with our toxic wastes.

The Columbia starts at a Canadian glacier, runs 1,200 miles and drains a 259,000-square-mile basin that includes land in seven U.S. states and part of Canada. It passes the Hanford Nuclear Plant, picks up agricultural runoff, effluent from 13 pulp and paper mills, heavy metals from mines and industries, and sewer outflows from cities. The data also shows high doses of arsenic, dioxins, radioactive contamination, modern pesticides, industrial chemicals and prescription drugs.

We need to do better monitoring, allow less discharge of toxic materials and demand better pollution controls, those who violate strict regulations should be fined heavily and made to update to the new environmental standards.
Mercury is on the rise on the Lower Columbia, mercury has affected osprey eggs, contributor to this problem is PGE's coal plant at Boardman and a cement plant around Baker City.

DDT banned in 1992, still traces in the environment, causes thin eggshells of birds, development problems, and reproductive problems as well.
PCB'S industrial chemical banned in 1976 toxic problems slowly leaving but still found in industrial run off sites and spills. Can harm hormonal, immune and reproductive systems in people and aquatic life and increase cancer risk.
PEBE'S is flame retardants and have been banned in Oregon and Washington states, toxins are being found in municipal waste water discharges, the health problems are found to be in reproduction, development and neurological areas. generally associated with fish at this time.

We know that chemicals are a problem to begin with, why do we continue to develop hazardous chemicals and discharge into our water and air? Why don't we manufacture environmentally safe products to begin with and start saving the planet and ourselves from problems in the future, the cost would be a lot cheaper in the long run, cost for clean-ups, economics, and health care costs associated with illness associated from the toxins, and the benefit would be enormous to every living creature that inhabits the earth.