Illinois Officials Warn: 'Do Not Eat These Fish'

Multiple bodies of water across Illinois are contaminated with chemicals that cause negative effects on human health when ingested. According to WGN9, the Illinois Department of Public Health has officially issued a fish consumption warning across the state. Despite being banned over 50 years ago, so many PCB's were utilized in the last century, that the chemicals still linger throughout our environment today. These chemicals have been found to exist inside fish that call these contaminated waters home.

The Illinois Department of Public Heath described PCB's as "a group of more than 200 similar manmade chemicals that were used as insulating fluid for electrical equipment like capacitors and transformers. They are oily liquids or solids, clear to yellow in color, with no smell or taste." Methylmercury, a dangerous compound that causes nervous system damage, has also been found in these bodies of water.

WGN9 listed each body of water that is contaminated throughout the state, what it is contaminated with, and which fish to avoid consuming:

• 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
• Galena River in Jo Daviess County- Common Carp 24″ or longer due to PCBs
• Herrin Lake #1 in Williamson County- Common Carp all sizes due to PCBs
• Lake Depue in Bureau County- Channel Catfish 24″ or longer due to PCBs
• Lake Michigan in Cook and Lake Counties- Channel Catfish 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

The advisory is only in effect for women who are pregnant, nursing, or may become pregnant, and children under the age of 15. Others are encouraged to limit "predatory fish consumption" to one meal a week. For a full list of fish to avoid eating visit wgntv.com.