An area body of water has been added to the Illinois advisory list for consuming fish caught for sport. The Illinois Department of Public Health issued its annual update of advisories related to the consumption of sport fish caught in Illinois waterways on Friday.
IDPH maintains an interactive Fish Advisory Map that includes consumption advisories detailing how frequently certain types of fish from various waterways can be eaten without posing a health risk.
Waverly Lake is one of five bodies of water added to the list of more than 100 publicly accessible bodies of water across the state. The advisory warns that women of childbearing age and children should only consume fish caught from the lake once per week. Lake Jacksonville is already on the list, and it is advised that women of childbearing age and children should only consume fish once per month.
The advisories stem from the levels of mercury found in testing of both lakes. IDPH officials say Mercury occurs naturally in rocks and soils but is primarily released into the environment through air pollution from mining, coal combustion, and the production of metals and cement.
Mercury can travel thousands of miles in the air before settling into water bodies. Aquatic bacteria transform mercury into methylmercury, a form that accumulates in fish and is easily absorbed by humans when ingested.
Methylmercury can damage the developing nervous systems of fetuses and children, resulting in lower IQ, slowed motor function, and incoordination. At higher exposures, methylmercury can affect adults, resulting in memory loss, slurred speech, and poor muscle control.
The other bodies of water added to the advisory list this year were Duck Creek Lake, Schuy-Rush Lake, Rock Run Rookery, and the Waukegan South Harbor.
The advisory for the Illinois River has been updated. To see all the advisories for bodies of water statewide, go to dph.gov and search Fish Advisory Map.