In 2005, tests on fish caught in the Rhône River, upstream from Lyon, revealed levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) exceeding regulatory health limits. Further investigations, recommended by the French Food Safety Agency (AFSSA), led local authorities to ban the consumption and sale of all fish species in the Rhône, from Lyon to the Mediterranean. It soon became apparent that this PCB pollution affected other waterways in France, and the Ministry of Ecology, in collaboration with the Ministries of Health and Agriculture, launched a national action plan against PCBs. Among these actions is a national multicenter study designed to determine whether regular consumers of freshwater fish are at higher risk of PCB exposure compared to non-consumers. It is being conducted by AFSSA in partnership with the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (InVS) and at the request of the Ministry of Health. The study involves 900 consumers and non-consumers of freshwater fish spread across six different fishing areas. The final results are expected in February 2011. (R.A.)