Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1912-09-21
POLLUTION OF THE
POTOMAC RIVER
In Its Relation to SheIlfish Industry
Food Products Condemned.
OYSTERS UNFIT FOR USE.
Department Of Agriculture investigating
Waters Contaminated With Organic
Pollution.

Ssectay of Agriculture Willreet M.
Hays, today gave out the following:
The Department of Agriculture has
completed a preliminary investiga.
tion Of the sanitary condition of the
water of tae Potomac River in its
relation to the shellfish industTy =.
| During the last two years food in.
| spectors of the Department have
time and again obtained samples OF
oysters at the Elventh street wharves,
and from local dealers in Washing
ton. which, upon examination were
found to be grossly polluted and unfit
for food resulting in seizure and con-
demnation of the product.
The agents of the Department also
Investigated numerous cases of ty-
phoid fever, some of which could be
traced to the eating of raw oysters
obtained from the supply furnished
from local markets, supply which is
obtained largely from the oyster
beds of the Potomac River. This con-
dition of affairs led the Department of
Agriculture to direct that a thorough
and comprehensive investigation of
the character of the water of the Po-
tomac River be made and that con-
ditions along the river which might
be considered as contributing to poll
luton be inquired into. Accordingly
two trips of investigation were made
down the river last spring, the first
one in March and the second one in
May.
Samples were obtained for both
meteorological and chemical exami-
nations. the river channel being di-
vided for this purpose into sections.
Surface samples AMI deep samples of
the water were obtained from APP
proximately every five-mile section
of the river, from Washington to
Point Lookout, at its mouth. In ad-
ition to the samples of water taken
from the channel of the river, samples
of oysters were obtained directly
from the oyster grounds, in other sam
Piles of both water and oysters were
obtained from many of the tributaries,
especially those from which oysters
are largely taken for market pur-
poses. A reconnaissance survey was
made of local sources of pollution
along the river below Washington
and Alexandria, and an attempt was
made to determine their Importance
in the general pollution of the water
of the river.
The river carries a very consider
able load of organic pollution from
communities above Washington, and
this IS very seriously increased by
the sewage Of both Washington and
Alexandria, which is emptied into
the river. Both chemical and bacter-
biological tests show concIusively that
this pollution travels apparently with
but slight change, for long distance
down the river. The results of the
two Investigations show that the self
publication of the stream which is
relied upon to take care of sewage
and other polluting matters, does not
occur to anything like the extent to
which some persons have contended
it does.
The river is shown to be seriously
polluted as far as the upper section
of the Potomac oyster grounds, cor
siderable pollution existing indeed as
far as the Wicomico River, or off
Blackstone Island, a locality from
which many oysters are taken ami
sent to the Washington markets.
Samples of oysters in the Wicomico
River, near Blackstone Island, and
from Nomini Bay and above these
points were examined, and some
samples although not all of them
were found to De polluted to such
an extent that they would be con-
demned as unfit for food.