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 These changes are the result of continued sampling by the Fish
Contaminant Monitoring Program and do not suggest that Illinois
fish are becoming more or less contaminated.
“We encourage people to enjoy fishing in Illinois lakes and
rivers, but want to make sure you have information about eating
fish that are caught in Illinois waters. The advisories are not
meant to discourage people from eating fish, but should be used
as a guideline to help anglers and their families decide the
types of fish to eat, how frequently, and how to prepare fish
for cooking to reduce possible contaminants,” said IDPH Director
Nirav D. Shah, M.D., J.D.
There is no known immediate health hazard from eating
contaminated fish from any body of water in Illinois. The main
concern for regularly eating fish listed on the advisories is
the effect of long-term exposure to low levels of pesticides and
chemicals, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins,
chlordane, and methylmercury.
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The program is a joint effort of the
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and the departments of Natural
Resources and Public Health. The fish are collected by the Illinois Department
of Natural Resources (IDNR) and tested by IEPA. IDPH issues fish consumption
advisories based on the IEPA test results. The updated advisory and detailed
information can be found on the IDPH website:
http://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/environmental-health-protection/toxicology/fish-advisories/map.
[Illinois Department of Public Health] |
