Chemical Contaminants

Almost three-quarters of the Bay’s tidal waters are partially or fully impaired by pesticides, pharmaceuticals, metals and other chemicals, which can harm the health of both humans and wildlife.

Fish biologist Vicki Blazer with the U.S. Geological Survey brings her team to the Shenandoah River in Front Royal, Virginia, to collect and study specimens of smallmouth bass, a species in which exposure to chemical contaminants has caused intersex characteristics. (Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)
Infographic shows the amount of the Chesapeake Bay impaired by toxic contaminants.
Every two years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency determines the amount of the tidal Chesapeake Bay that is partially or fully impaired by PCBs, PFAS, metals and other toxic contaminants. While bans on the production of some toxic contaminants have lowered their presence in the watershed, others are still widely used today, and the Bay remains far below our goal of observing no toxic-related impairments at all. (Data provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.)
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The infographic shows three glass containers commonly used in a scientific laboratory. At the front and center, an Erlenmeyer flask containing green liquid is marked with a caution symbol. The flask's markings indicate it is just over 80% full. Next to the flask, text states that 84% of the tidal Chesapeake Bay is partially or fully impaired by toxic contaminants.