PISCES sampler in Cayuga Creek, September 2005. Credit: Betsy Trometer, USFWS

The Lower Great Lakes Fishery Resources Office and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation completed the project and final report, "Tracking Sources of Contaminants in Cayuga Creek on the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station (NFARS), Niagara Falls, New York". The study, initiated in 2005, was prompted by the discovery of elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and mirex in young fish collected in 1997 just downstream from the NFARS. The study used passive in-situ concentration samplers (PISCES) which mimic the uptake of contaminants by fish. PISCES were used due to the difficulty of collecting enough young fish of the same species for analysis. Young fish were collected at two locations for comparison to the 1997 study. PCB was tracked to several outfalls on NFARS, but mirex was not detected on the station. Contaminant analyses of fish collected at the downstream location in 2005 revealed a decline in some contaminants relative to 1997; however PCB and mirex did not decline and continue to exceed criteria established to protect sensitive wildlife.