Illinois
PFAS found in nearly all fish tested from four northern Illinois rivers
![PFAS found in nearly all fish tested from four northern Illinois rivers PFAS found in nearly all fish tested from four northern Illinois rivers](https://news.illinois.edu/files/6367/662834785/228260.jpg)
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Scientists tested nine fish species from four northern Illinois rivers for contamination with per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances, synthetic chemicals found in numerous industrial and commercial products and known to be harmful to human health. They found fish contaminated with PFAS in every one of their 15 test sites. Elevated levels of PFOS, one type of PFAS compound, were found in nearly all fish tested.
The findings are reported in the journal Science of the Total Environment.
The qualities that make PFAS desirable for industrial uses — their durability and stability under stresses such as high heat or exposure to water, for example — also make these chemicals particularly problematic in the environment and hazardous to human and animal health, said Joseph Irudayaraj, a professor of bioengineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who led the new study.
“PFAS contain multiple carbon-fluorine bonds, one of the strongest bonds in organic chemistry,” Irudayaraj said. “Because of this, they are also very hard to break down. They persist for a long time because they are very, very stable.”
There are nearly 15,000 PFAS chemicals, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These are classified either as short-chain PFAS, which have less than six carbon-fluorine bonds, and long-chain PFAS, with six or more of these bonds, Irudayaraj said.
Long-chain PFAS were widely used before awareness grew about the hazards of these chemicals. More recently, many industries switched to using short-chain PFAS.
“It was thought that the short-chain PFAS were less toxic, and that they could more easily degrade,” he said. “But surprisingly, that was not the case.”
Now, both types of PFAS are found in groundwater, soil and human tissues.
“About 99% of people living in the U.S. have PFAS in their system,” Irudayaraj said.
Despite a voluntary phasing out of some PFAS in industry in the U.S. and efforts to reduce PFAS pollution, these chemicals are still found in drinking water, household products, food packaging and agricultural products, he said.
The researchers focused on fish in northern Illinois rivers because they are close to urban and industrial areas. Industrial emissions and urban rainwater runoff may further contaminate local waterways with PFAS. Sport fishing is also popular across the state, including in areas inside and near Chicago. More than 666,000 fishing licenses were issued across the state of Illinois in 2020.
The researchers focused on fish in the Pecatonica River, Rock River, Sugar River and Yellow Creek from 2021-22. The team collected dozens of samples from nine species of fish, including bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, northern pike, smallmouth bass and walleye. The fish represented different levels of the food chain, from those that feed only on plants, like bluegill, to those eating other fish, such as channel catfish and northern pike.
Back in the lab, the scientists analyzed fish tissues for 17 PFAS chemicals. They found PFAS-contaminated fish in every river they tested and in every one of their 15 sampling sites. Fish from the Rock River had the highest concentrations of PFAS in their tissues. Contamination levels were highest in channel catfish, at the top of the food chain, and lowest in the plant eaters.
Four chemicals known as perfluorooctanesulfonic acids or PFOS were detected in fish from every site tested.
“These are long-chain PFAS that have been in use over the past few decades,” Irudayaraj said. “They were found in all the sites, along with a few short-chain PFAS.”
Because fish are mobile, it is problematic to tie their contamination levels to the locale where they were sampled, he said. But the finding is worrisome for people who are exposed to the water or eating the fish from these sites.
“Further studies are warranted to comprehensively evaluate the occurrence and sources of PFAS throughout the state of Illinois,” the researchers wrote. “Such information is crucial to better understand the distribution and potential risks of these compounds to the environment.”
Bioengineering is a department in the The Grainger College of Engineering at Illinois. Irudayaraj also is a professor in the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology and an affiliate of the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology and the Carle Illinois College of Medicine at the U. of I.
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Illinois
Trump weighs in on immunity for Illinois deputy in Sonya Massey murder
![Trump weighs in on immunity for Illinois deputy in Sonya Massey murder Trump weighs in on immunity for Illinois deputy in Sonya Massey murder](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox32chicago.com/www.fox32chicago.com/content/uploads/2024/07/1280/720/GettyImages-2164053796.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Trump weighs in on immunity for Illinois deputy in Sonya Massey murder
Former President Donald Trump appeared before the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago on Wednesday where he was asked whether an Illinois deputy responsible for the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey is entitled to police immunity.
CHICAGO – Former President Donald Trump was questioned about his support for police immunity in connection with the Sonya Massey murder case during the National Association of Black Journalists’ convention in Chicago.
Massey, 36, was an unarmed Black woman who was fatally shot inside her Springfield home on July 6 after calling 911 for a possible intruder.
Former Sangamon County deputy Sean Grayson is accused of fatally shooting Massey as she was moving a pot of hot water off of her stove.
He is now charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct and is currently being held in the Sangamon County Jail, the Associated Press reports.
Sonya Massey murder: Illinois deputy allegedly shot woman in face after ordering her to move pot of water
Massey’s death has sparked outrage across the state of Illinois and has prompted many calls for justice, including in Chicago.
On Wednesday, Trump was asked by Semafor politics reporter Kadia Goba about immunity for Grayson.
This follows Trump’s claim that, if elected, police officers could be immune from prosecution.
Here is a breakdown of the conversation:
- Goba: “So, Sonya Massey, someone from Illinois, an unarmed Black woman, was shot the other day in her home by a deputy sheriff. The deputy has since been charged with murder. You said police would get immunity from prosecution if you win. Why should someone like that officer have immunity in your opinion?”
- Trump: “Immunity? I don’t know the exact case, but I saw something and it didn’t… it didn’t look good to me. Are you talking with the water, right?”
- Goba: “Police unions are not backing this person either.”
- Trump: “Are they going to be charging the officer? I guess they’re charging the officer?”
- Goba: “So why should he receive immunity?”
- Trump: “Well he might not. I mean it depends. It depends on what happens. I’m talking about people that are, much different cases than that. We need people to protect ourselves. By the way, in Chicago, as an example, a few weeks ago, July 4th weekend, we had 117 shootings and 17 deaths. Nobody wants that… We need to have our police officers have their respect and dignity back. In this particular case, I saw something that didn’t look good to me. I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it at all.”
- Goba: “So, can you get a little more specific back to the immunity question? Who would make those changes, those distinctions?”
- Trump: “For the most part, for the most part, people are protected by their unions, by their police unions or by their police departments. But I’m saying if I felt, or if a group of people would feel that somebody was being unfairly prosecuted because the person did a good job… or made a mistake, an innocent mistake. There’s a difference between being a bad person and making an innocent mistake. If somebody made an innocent mistake, I would want to help that person.”
- Goba: “What would those exceptions be?”
- Trump: “You go after somebody and it’s a very close call and it’s very dangerous. And you know… a policeman’s life, and woman, is a very difficult thing because sometimes you have less than a second to make a life and death decision. And sometimes very bad decisions are made. They’re not made from an evil standpoint but they’re made from the standpoint of they made a mistake.”
The conversation then shifts to Trump talking about being prosecuted and saying how he “won the big case” in Florida.
RELATED: Donald Trump speaks at NABJ convention in Chicago
On Tuesday night, Chicago residents and activists gathered at the New Mt. Pilgrim MB Church to call for action and justice in the case.
Massey’s father is also calling for the resignation of the Sangamon County Sheriff.
FULL SPEECH: Donald Trump speaks in Chicago to the NABJ
Donald Trump falsely questioned Kamala Harris’ race during an appearance before the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago that quickly turned hostile on Wednesday.
Illinois
Family ties possible between victims of two Illinois police shootings
![Family ties possible between victims of two Illinois police shootings Family ties possible between victims of two Illinois police shootings](https://cbs2iowa.com/resources/media2/16x9/1920/986/center/90/75d47718-2c4f-4409-8392-40c68863307e-V9MILLERPROTEST.jpg)
MACOMB, Illinois — New police body camera video released this week shows a four-year-old boy being shot to death by western Illinois police.
The video is coming out a little more than a week after the release of body camera footage showing Sonya Massey’s death in central Illinois.
Terrell Miller, 4, was shot and killed by Macomb police in March– about 84 miles away from where Massey was killed.
Macomb police responded to a domestic violence report on Saturday, March 16.
Officers broke into the apartment after hearing screams from inside the room.
Police said they saw a woman with stab wounds and a man holding two knives. The man has been identified as Anthony George, 57.
George briefly goes out of view in the body cam video but comes back with Miller in his arms.
George was shown putting a knife up to Miller’s throat, and that’s when one of the officers fired the shot killing both George and Miller.
Protesters in Illinois continue to call for justice for Miller. His mother said she was devastated that no charges are being filed.
Prosecutors said the officers involved in the shooting won’t be charged with a crime after a review by a special prosecutor found no basis for criminal charges. They said Miller was being used as a human shield.
Iowa’s News Now was told that Massey and Miller were either cousins or shared kinship in some way following last week’s vigil in Cedar Rapids.
We’re working to confirm the familial tie with both families.
Stay with Iowa’s News Now for updates.
Illinois
Sheriff speaks out about Sonya Massey shooting in Illinois
![Sheriff speaks out about Sonya Massey shooting in Illinois Sheriff speaks out about Sonya Massey shooting in Illinois](https://media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_nbcnews-fp-1200-630,f_auto,q_auto:best/mpx/2704722219/2024_07/1722379978901_nn_mve_sonya_massey_shooting_240730_1920x1080-tuoll3.jpg)
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