"We are much better today at testing for pollutants," said Tom Lauer, director of Ball State's Aquatic Biology and Fisheries Center. "Modern technology allows researchers to find toxins and other types of pollutants that 15 to 20 years ago were difficult, if not impossible, to reveal.

"I believe our rivers, streams and lakes are much cleaner than 20 years ago," he said. "How much better is a good question."

A survey by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management found that most of the state's waterways have pollution problems. The department plans to expand its list of environmentally impaired bodies of water by 277 to 485.

"While the state has done a better job of cleaning up its rivers and lakes, there are things we can't control," Lauer said. "the pollutants in acid rain come from hundreds or thousands of miles away, but they impact our waterways."

While working for the predecessor of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management in the late 1970s, he researched the health of fish in Lake Michigan.

"I ate lots of fish from Lake Michigan," Lauer said. "We didn't have any limitations on the amount of fish you were supposed to eat.

"Back then we just started testing for things like PCBs and other toxins that we know today are dangerous," he said. "Thirty years later we still don't know how much fish consumed would be considered unhealthy. No long-term study has been done."

Lauer and members of Ball State's aquatic biology and fisheries center prepare students for careers in the field. The center's educational program is designed to promote protection and restoration of water quality, management of freshwater environments, plus or along with recreational and sport fishing use of lakes and streams.

(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, contact Lauer at tlauer@bsu.eduor (765) 285-8825.)