Illinois Officials Warn DO NOT Eat Fish from These 10 Bodies of Water
The Illinois Department of Public Health has issued additional warnings for specific fish that should not be eaten by anyone.
Friday Fish Fry
If you're going out for fish this Friday, it might be the surest way to make sure you're not eating any of the fish on this list from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). There isn't enough lemon or tartar sauce to cover up the nasty you'll ingest if you eat one of the 10 fish on this list.
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The IDPH has issued fish warnings like this for over a decade, and the reason is Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs).
PCBs are a group of more than 200 man-made chemicals that have been banned since the 1970s. Hard to believe that they're still a problem, but that's because they were used in vast amounts. They can cause an array of health problems. Methylmercury, a very poisonous form of mercury, is another containment found in these warnings.
The yearly warnings are mostly directed at:
women who are, or could become, pregnant, women who are nursing, and children under 15 years old
According to wgntv.com, the levels of PCBs are significantly higher in these 10 bodies of water in Illinois and these specific fish. The levels are so high that the warning includes all of us, no matter our age or gender
DO NOT EAT these fish from these 10 bodies of water in Illinois
Calumet River System in Cook County
Common Carp 12″ or longer due to PCBs
Chicago River in Cook County
Common Carp 12″ or longer due to PCBs
Des Plaines River in Cook, Lake, and Will Counties
Common Carp 18″ or longer due to PCBs
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Galena River in Jo Daviess County
Common Carp 24″ or longer due to PCBs
Herrin Lake #1 in Williamson County
Common Carp of all sizes due to PCBs
Lake Depue in Bureau County
Channel Catfish 24″ or longer due to PCBs
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Lake Michigan in Cook and Lake Counties
Channel Catfish of all sizes due to PCBs
Lake Trout 30″ or longer due to PCBs
Lincoln Trail Lake in Clark County
Largemouth Bass 14″ or longer due to Methylmercury
Midlothian Reservoir in Cook County
Common Carp 20″ or longer due to PCBs
Mill Creek Lake in Clark County
Largemouth Bass 19″ or longer due to Methylmercury
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Be sure to check the entire list of fish that are on the yearly warning list.
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