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Ratelle M, Skinner K, Laird MJ, Majowicz S, Brandow D, Packull-McCormick S, Bouchard M, Dieme D, Stark KD, Henao JJA, Hanning R, Laird BD. Implementation of human biomonitoring in the Dehcho region of the Northwest Territories, Canada (2016-2017). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 76:73. [PMID: 30524727 PMCID: PMC6276191 DOI: 10.1186/s13690-018-0318-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Background Human biomonitoring represents an important tool for health risk assessment, supporting the characterization of contaminant exposure and nutrient status. In communities where country foods (locally harvested foods: land animals, fish, birds, plants) are integrated in the daily diet, as is the case in remote northern regions where food security is a challenge, such foods can potentially be a significant route of contaminant exposure. To assess this issue, a biomonitoring project was implemented among Dene/Métis communities of the Dehcho region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Methods Participants completed dietary surveys (i.e., a food frequency questionnaire and 24-h recall) to estimate food consumption patterns as well as a Health Messages Survey to evaluate the awareness and perception of contaminants and consumption notices. Biological sampling of hair, urine and blood was conducted. Toxic metals (e.g., mercury, lead, cadmium), essential metals (e.g., copper, nickel, zinc), fatty acids, and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were measured in samples. Results The levels of contaminants in blood, hair and urine for the majority of participants were below the available guidance values for mercury, cadmium, lead and uranium. However, from the 279 participants, approximately 2% were invited to provide follow up samples, mainly for elevated mercury level. Also, at the population level, blood lead (GM: 11 μg/L) and blood cadmium (GM: 0.53 μg/L) were slightly above the Canadian Health Measures Survey data. Therefore, although country foods occasionally contain elevated levels of particular contaminants, human exposures to these metals remained similar to those seen in the Canadian general population. In addition, dietary data showed the importance and diversity of country foods across participating communities, with the consumption of an average of 5.1% of total calories from wild-harvested country foods. Conclusion This project completed in the Mackenzie Valley of the Northwest Territories fills a data gap across other biomonitoring studies in Canada as it integrates community results, will support stakeholders in the development of public health strategies, and will inform environmental health issue prioritization. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13690-018-0318-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mylène Ratelle
- 1School of Public Health and Health Systems, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON Canada
| | - Kelly Skinner
- 1School of Public Health and Health Systems, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON Canada
| | - Matthew J Laird
- 1School of Public Health and Health Systems, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON Canada
| | - Shannon Majowicz
- 1School of Public Health and Health Systems, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON Canada
| | - Danielle Brandow
- 1School of Public Health and Health Systems, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON Canada
| | - Sara Packull-McCormick
- 1School of Public Health and Health Systems, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON Canada
| | - Michèle Bouchard
- 2Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, 2900 Edouard-Montpetit, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Denis Dieme
- 2Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, 2900 Edouard-Montpetit, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Ken D Stark
- 1School of Public Health and Health Systems, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON Canada
| | - Juan Jose Aristizabal Henao
- 1School of Public Health and Health Systems, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON Canada
| | - Rhona Hanning
- 1School of Public Health and Health Systems, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON Canada
| | - Brian D Laird
- 1School of Public Health and Health Systems, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON Canada
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Seabert TA, Pal S, Pinet BM, Haman F, Robidoux MA, Imbeault P, Krümmel EM, Kimpe LE, Blais JM. Elevated contaminants contrasted with potential benefits of ω-3 fatty acids in wild food consumers of two remote first nations communities in northern Ontario, Canada. PLoS One 2014; 9:e90351. [PMID: 24598815 PMCID: PMC3943865 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2013] [Accepted: 01/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Indigenous communities in Boreal environments rely on locally-harvested wild foods for sustenance. These foods provide many nutritional benefits including higher levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs; such as ω-3) than what is commonly found in store-bought foods. However, wild foods can be a route of exposure to dietary mercury and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Here, we show a strong association between the frequency of wild food consumption in adults (N = 72) from two remote First Nations communities of Northern Ontario and environmental contaminants in blood (POPs) and hair (mercury). We observed that POPs and mercury were on average 3.5 times higher among those consuming wild foods more often, with many frequent wild food consumers exceeding Canadian and international health guidelines for PCB and mercury exposures. Contaminants in locally-harvested fish and game from these communities were sufficiently high that many participants exceeded the monthly consumption limits for methylmercury and PCBs. Those consuming more wild foods also had higher proportions of potentially beneficial ω-3 fatty acids including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These results show that the benefits of traditional dietary choices in Boreal regions of Canada must be weighed against the inherent risks of contaminant exposure from these foods.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shinjini Pal
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bernard M. Pinet
- Indigenous Health Research Group, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Francois Haman
- Indigenous Health Research Group, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael A. Robidoux
- Indigenous Health Research Group, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Pascal Imbeault
- Behavioural and Metabolic Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Eva M. Krümmel
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Linda E. Kimpe
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jules M. Blais
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Laird BD, Goncharov AB, Chan HM. Body burden of metals and persistent organic pollutants among Inuit in the Canadian Arctic. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2013; 59:33-40. [PMID: 23770579 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2013.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2013] [Revised: 04/25/2013] [Accepted: 05/17/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Inuit living in the Arctic are exposed to elevated levels of environmental contaminants primarily due to long-range atmospheric transport. Blood sampling and contaminant biomonitoring was conducted as part of the International Polar Year Inuit Health Survey in 2007-2008. The body burden of metals (e.g. Cd, Pb) and persistent organic pollutants (e.g. PCBs, DDT & DDE, toxaphene, chlordane, PBDEs) were measured for Inuit participants (n=2172) from 36 communities in Nunavut, Nunatsiavut, and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, in Canada. The geometric mean of blood concentrations for Cd, Pb, PCBs, DDE & DDT, toxaphene, and chlordane were higher than those in the Canadian general population. A total of 9% of study participants exceeded the intervention guideline of 100μgL(-1) for Pb, 11% of participants exceeded the trigger guideline of 5μgL(-1) for Cd, and 1% exceeded the intervention guideline of 100μgL(-1) for PCBs. Also, 3% of women of child-bearing age exceeded blood Pb of 100μgL(-1) while 28% of women of child-bearing age exceeded 5μgL(-1) of PCBs. This work showed that most Inuit Health Survey participants were below blood contaminant guidelines set by Health Canada but that metal and POP body burdens commonly exceed exposures observed in the general population of Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D Laird
- Center for Advanced Research in Environmental Genomics, University of Ottawa, 20 Marie-Curie, Ottawa, ON Canada.
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