Illinois Issues Updated Fish Consumption Advisories Over PFOS Levels

SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Department of Public Health has issued updated sport fish consumption advisories for 2026 after new testing showed elevated levels of contaminants, including PFAS chemicals such as perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, as well as PCBs and methylmercury, in fish from multiple Illinois waterways. Officials said the changes are based on statewide monitoring and updated safety guidelines and are intended to help residents limit exposure to potentially harmful chemicals found in some fish species. The updates include do not eat advisories for largemouth bass in Campus Lake at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and Monee Reservoir, as well as new limits recommending no more than one meal per month for certain fish in waterways including the Calumet River system, Chicago River system, Lake Calumet, Lake Zurich, Midlothian Reservoir, Randolph County Lake, Waukegan South Harbor, and Wolf Lake. Additional advisories restrict consumption to no more than one meal per week in other locations, while a statewide methylmercury advisory remains in place advising pregnant and nursing women, those who may become pregnant, and children under 15 to limit consumption of predatory fish to no more than one meal per week. The Illinois Fish Contaminant Monitoring Program conducts testing to guide the advisories, and an interactive map is available to help residents check local waterway guidance.