SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The Illinois Department of Public Health has announced it has lifted some warnings about eating fish from Lake Michigan and the Illinois River, among other bodies of water.
There has been a “do not eat” warning about fish caught in the Illinois River since the 1970's. While there is no known immediate health hazard from eating contaminated fish from any Illinois water body, there are concerns about the effects of long-term, low-level exposure to chlordane, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and methylmercury in fish.
The toxic contaminants accumulate in the fatty tissues of sport fish like bass, walleye, northern pike, and stick around in the environment.
The toxic contaminants were banned in 1979.
Now, IDPH is issuing a less restrictive advisory for 13 bodies of water and has removed four bodies of water from the advisory list altogether. For the first time since the 1970s, there is no longer a “Do Not Eat” advisory for fish in the Illinois River, due to declining PCB concentrations. However, the continued prevalence of methylmercury is responsible for new or more restrictive advisories in Illinois waters.
In addition to this year’s updates, a statewide methylmercury advisory remains in place for all Illinois waters that have not been sampled by the Fish Contaminant Monitoring Program.
The statewide methylmercury advisory cautions sensitive populations to eat no more than one meal per week of predatory fish, which pose a greater risk, because they feed on other fish and accumulate higher amounts of methylmercury. Predatory fish include all species of black bass and gar, as well as striped bass, white bass, hybrid striped bass, walleye, sauger, saugeye, flathead catfish, muskellunge, and northern pike.
The Illinois Department of Public Health said it’s okay to eat fish from the Illinois River once-a-month.
That had previously been the recommendation for white fish and rainbow trout caught in Lake Michigan. The recommendation for those fish is now once a week.
The department said the potential danger is eating contaminated fish over time.
The advisories are based on protecting what are termed sensitive populations, including women of childbearing age, pregnant women, fetuses, nursing mothers, and children under 15.
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