Abstract
The US Environmental Protection Agency declared Onondaga Lake as a superfund site in 1994
due to industrial contamination leading to the presence of hydrophobic organic compounds
(HOCs) such as chlorobenzenes and naphthalene. Since then, the lake has undergone substantial
remediation efforts such as dredging and capping. In 2016-2017, concentrations of select HOCs
in water were determined using PISCES (Passive In-Situ Concentration Extraction Sampler).
These concentrations decreased by factors ranging from 3 to over 200 for naphthalene and
phenyl tolyl ethane (PTE), respectively, compared to concentrations determined with PISCES
from 1993-2012. However, continued presence of HOCs at lower levels indicate persistent
source(s). In-situ sediment-water studies indicate that sediments are one likely source. To
account for temperature and agitation effects on PISCES in the lake, a method using
performance reference compounds (PRCs) was also developed.