Polychlorinated biphenyls in serum of the Siberian Yupik people from St. Lawrence Island, Alaska

Formerly used defense sites on Unalaska Island, Alaska: Mapping a legacy of environmental pollution

Unalaska Island, Alaska, served as a US military base during World War II. The military installed bases on Unalaska and nearby islands, many of which were built adjacent to Unangan communities. The military used toxic compounds in its operations and left a legacy of pollution that may pose health risks to residents and local wildlife. The goals of this study were to identify hotspots of contamination remaining at Unalaska formerly used defense (FUD) sites, evaluate the risk posed by arsenic, and examine "no US Department of Defense action indicated" (NDAI) status determinations for FUD sites near communities. We compiled soil chemistry data from remediation reports prepared by the US Army Corps of Engineers at 18 FUD sites on and near Unalaska. Nine had past and/or active remediation projects and on-site sampling data. Eight sites did not have sampling data and were characterized as NDAI. One site was listed as closed. For the nine sites with sampling data, we compiled data for 22 contaminants of concern (COC) and compared concentrations to soil cleanup levels for human health (18 AAC 75.341). We mapped contaminant concentrations exceeding these levels to identify hotspots of contamination. We found that concentrations of some of the 22 COC exceeded Alaska cleanup levels despite remediation efforts, including diesel range organics, arsenic, and lead. The highest COC concentrations were at the FUD site adjacent to the City of Unalaska. A quantitative risk assessment for arsenic found that the risk of exposure through drinking water is low. We highlight concerns with NDAI designations and current remedial practices at remote FUD sites located adjacent to communities. Our data suggest the need for further remediation and monitoring efforts on Unalaska for certain contaminants and research to examine potential threats to human and animal health associated with these sites. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:1420-1431. © 2024 SETAC.

Transcriptomic and developmental effects of persistent organic pollutants in sentinel fishes collected near an arctic formerly used defense site

Alaska contains over 600 formerly used defense (FUD) sites, many of which serve as point sources of pollution. These sites are often co-located with rural communities that depend upon traditional subsistence foods, especially lipid-rich animals that bioaccumulate and biomagnify persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Many POPs are carcinogenic and endocrine-disrupting compounds that are associated with adverse health outcomes. Therefore, elevated exposure to POPs from point sources of pollution may contribute to disproportionate incidence of disease in arctic communities. We investigated PCB concentrations and the health implications of POP exposure in sentinel fishes collected near the Northeast Cape FUD site on Sivuqaq (St. Lawrence Island), Alaska. Sivuqaq residents are almost exclusively Yupik and rely on subsistence foods. At the request of the Sivuqaq community, we examined differential gene expression and developmental pathologies associated with exposure to POPs originating at the Northeast Cape FUD site. We found significantly higher levels of PCBs in Alaska blackfish (Dallia pectoralis) collected from contaminated sites downstream of the FUD site compared to fish collected from upstream reference sites. We compared transcriptomic profiles and histopathologies of these same blackfish. Blackfish from contaminated sites overexpressed genes involved in ribosomal and FoxO signaling pathways compared to blackfish from reference sites. Contaminated blackfish also had significantly fewer thyroid follicles and smaller pigmented macrophage aggregates. Conversely, we found that ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) from contaminated sites exhibited thyroid follicle hyperplasia. Despite our previous research reporting transcriptomic and endocrine differences in stickleback from contaminated vs. reference sites, we did not find significant differences in kidney or gonadal histomorphologies. Our results demonstrate that contaminants from the Northeast Cape FUD site are associated with altered gene expression and thyroid development in native fishes. These results are consistent with our prior work demonstrating disruption of the thyroid hormone axis in Sivuqaq residents.

Differential gene expression and developmental pathologies associated with persistent organic pollutants in sentinel fish in Troutman Lake, Sivuqaq, Alaska

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are lipophilic compounds that bioaccumulate in animals and biomagnify within food webs. Many POPs are endocrine disrupting compounds that impact vertebrate development. POPs accumulate in the Arctic via global distillation and thereby impact high trophic level vertebrates as well as people who live a subsistence lifestyle. The Arctic also contains thousands of point sources of pollution, such as formerly used defense (FUD) sites. Sivuqaq (St. Lawrence Island), Alaska was used by the U.S. military during the Cold War and FUD sites on the island remain point sources of POP contamination. We examined the effects of POP exposure on ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) collected from Troutman Lake in the village of Gambell as a model for human exposure and disease. During the Cold War, Troutman Lake was used as a dump site by the U.S. military. We found that PCB concentrations in stickleback exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's guideline for unlimited consumption despite these fish being low trophic level organisms. We examined effects at three levels of biological organization: gene expression, endocrinology, and histomorphology. We found that ninespine stickleback from Troutman Lake exhibited suppressed gonadal development compared to threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) studied elsewhere. Troutman Lake stickleback also displayed two distinct hepatic phenotypes, one with lipid accumulation and one with glycogen-type vacuolation. We compared the transcriptomic profiles of these liver phenotypes using RNA sequencing and found significant upregulation of genes involved in ribosomal and metabolic pathways in the lipid accumulation group. Additionally, stickleback displaying liver lipid accumulation had significantly fewer thyroid follicles than the vacuolated phenotype. Our study and previous work highlight health concerns for people and wildlife due to pollution hotspots in the Arctic, and the need for health-protective remediation.

PFAS and PBDEs in traditional subsistence foods from Sivuqaq, Alaska

The Arctic is a hemispheric sink for both legacy and current use persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Once in the Arctic, POPs biomagnify in food webs, potentially reaching concentrations in high trophic level animals that pose a health concern for people who subsist on those animals. Indigenous Peoples of the Arctic may be highly exposed to POPs through their traditional diets. The objective of this study was to assess concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in tissues of traditionally harvested foods from Sivuqaq (St. Lawrence Island), Alaska. Community health researchers identified volunteer households and local hunters to donate tissues from traditionally harvested animals. Target species included bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus), Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus), ringed seal (Pusa hispida), bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus), ribbon seal (Histriophoca fasciata), spotted seal (Phoca largha), and reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). PBDEs were frequently detected in all species and tissues. PBDE concentrations tended to be highest in lipid-rich tissues of seals. PFAS were infrequently detected and did not show obvious patterns among species or tissues. This and other studies demonstrate that POPs such as PBDEs are present in tissues of traditional food animals from Sivuqaq, as they are throughout the Arctic, and consumption of these animals likely contributes to exposure among Arctic Indigenous Peoples.

Elevated mercury and PCB concentrations in Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma) collected near a formerly used defense site on Sivuqaq, Alaska

Environmental pollution causes adverse health effects in many organisms and contributes to health disparities for Arctic communities that depend on subsistence foods, including the Yupik residents of Sivuqaq (St. Lawrence Island), Alaska. Sivuqaq's proximity to Russia made it a strategic location for U.S. military defense sites during the Cold War. Two radar surveillance stations were installed on Sivuqaq, including at the Northeast Cape. High levels of persistent organic pollutants and toxic metals continue to leach from the Northeast Cape formerly used defense (FUD) site despite remediation efforts. We quantified total mercury (Hg) and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations, and carbon and nitrogen stable isotope signatures, in skin and muscle samples from Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma), an important subsistence species. We found that Hg and PCB concentrations significantly differed across locations, with the highest concentrations found in fish collected near the FUD site. We found that 89% of fish collected from near the FUD site had Hg concentrations that exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) unlimited Hg-contaminated fish consumption screening level for subsistence fishers (0.049 μg/g). All fish sampled near the FUD site exceeded the EPA's PCB guidelines for cancer risk for unrestricted human consumption (0.0015 μg/g ww). Both Hg and PCB concentrations had a significant negative correlation with δ¹³C when sites receiving input from the FUD site were included in the analysis, but these relationships were insignificant when input sites were excluded. δ¹⁵N had a significant negative correlation with Hg concentration, but not with PCB concentration. These results suggest that the Northeast Cape FUD site remains a point source of Hg and PCB pollution and contributes to higher concentrations in resident fish, including subsistence species. Moreover, elevated Hg and PCB levels in fish near the FUD site may pose a health risk for Sivuqaq residents.

Legacy and emerging semi-volatile organic compounds in sentinel fish from an arctic formerly used defense site in Alaska

The Arctic is subject to long-range atmospheric deposition of globally-distilled semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) that bioaccumulate and biomagnify in lipid-rich food webs. In addition, locally contaminated sites may also contribute SVOCs to the arctic environment. Specifically, Alaska has hundreds of formerly used defense (FUD) sites, many of which are co-located with Alaska Native villages in remote parts of the state. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent of SVOC contamination on Alaska's St. Lawrence Island through the analysis of sentinel fish, the ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius), collected from Troutman Lake located within the watershed of an FUD site and adjacent to the Yupik community of Gambell. We measured the concentrations of legacy and emerging SVOCs in 303 fish samples (81 composites), including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organophosphate esters (OPEs) and their diester metabolites, and per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PBDEs and PCBs were the most abundant SVOC groups found in stickleback with ΣPBDE and ΣPCB median concentrations of 25.8 and 10.9 ng/g ww, respectively, followed by PFAS (median ΣPFAS 7.22 ng/g ww). ΣOPE and ΣOPE metabolite concentrations were lower with median concentrations of 4.97 and 1.18 ng/g ww, respectively. Chemical patterns and distributions based on correlations and comparison with SVOC concentrations in stickleback from other parts of the island suggest strong local sources of PCBs, PBDEs, and PFAS on St. Lawrence Island.

Native American Perspectives on Health and Traditional Ecological Knowledge

BACKGROUND

Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) is a conceptual framework that highlights Indigenous knowledge (IK) systems. Although scientific literature has noted the relevance of TEK for environmental research since the 1980s, little attention has been given to how Native American (NA) scholars engage with it to shape tribal-based research on health, nor how non-Native scholars can coordinate their approaches with TEK. This coordination is of particular importance for environmental health sciences (EHS) research exploring interdisciplinary approaches and the integration of environmental and human health.

OBJECTIVE

Our perspective on TEK arose from a series of Health and Culture Research Group (HCRG) workshops that identified gaps in existing EHS methodologies that are based on a reliance on Euro-American concepts for assessing environmental exposures in tribal communities. These prior methods neither take into account cultural behavior nor community responses to these. Our objective is to consider NA perspectives on TEK when analyzing relationships between health and the environment and to look at how these may be applied to address this gap.

DISCUSSION

The authors—the majority of whom are NA scholars—highlight two research areas that consider health from a TEK perspective: food systems and knowledge of medicinal plants. This research has yielded data, methods, and knowledge that have helped Indigenous communities better define and reduce health risks and protect local natural food resources, and this TEK approach may prove of value to EHS research.

CONCLUSION

NA perspectives on TEK resulting from the HCRG workshops provide an opportunity for developing more accurate Indigenous health indicators (IHI) reflecting the conceptualizations of health maintained in these communities. This approach has the potential to bridge the scientific study of exposure with methods addressing a tribal perspective on the sociocultural determinants of health, identifying potential new areas of inquiry in EHS that afford nuanced evaluations of exposures and outcomes in tribal communities. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1944.

Exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and associations with serum thyroid hormones in a remote population of Alaska Natives

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are known to accumulate in traditional food animals of the Arctic, and arctic indigenous peoples may be exposed via consumption of subsistence-harvested animals. PFASs are suspected of disrupting thyroid hormone homeostasis in humans. The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between serum PFASs and thyroid function in a remote population of Alaska Natives. Serum samples were collected from 85 individuals from St. Lawrence Island, Alaska. The concentrations of 13 PFASs, as well as free and total thyroxine (T4), free and total triiodothyronine (T3), and thyrotropin (TSH) were quantified in serum samples. The relationships between circulating concentrations of PFASs and thyroid hormones were assessed using multiple linear regression fit with generalized estimating equations. Several PFASs, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), were positively associated with TSH concentrations when modeled individually. PFOS and PFNA were significantly associated with free T3 and PFNA was significantly associated with total T3 in models with PFAS*sex interactive terms; these associations suggested negative associations in men and positive associations in women. PFASs were not significantly associated with concentrations of free or total T4. Serum PFASs are associated with circulating thyroid hormone concentrations in a remote population of Alaska Natives. The effects of PFAS exposure on thyroid hormone homeostasis may differ between sexes.

Endocrine disruption and differential gene expression in sentinel fish on St. Lawrence Island, Alaska: Health implications for indigenous residents

People living a subsistence lifestyle in the Arctic are highly exposed to persistent organic pollutants, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Formerly Used Defense (FUD) sites are point sources of PCB pollution; the Arctic contains thousands of FUD sites, many co-located with indigenous villages. We investigated PCB profiles and biological effects in freshwater fish (Alaska blackfish [Dallia pectoralis] and ninespine stickleback [Pungitius pungitius]) living upstream and downstream of the Northeast Cape FUD site on St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea. Despite extensive site remediation, fish remained contaminated with PCBs. Vitellogenin concentrations in males indicated exposure to estrogenic contaminants, and some fish were hypothyroid. Downstream fish showed altered DNA methylation in gonads and altered gene expression related to DNA replication, response to DNA damage, and cell signaling. This study demonstrates that, even after site remediation, contaminants from Cold War FUD sites in remote regions of the Arctic remain a potential health threat to local residents - in this case, Yupik people who had no influence over site selection and use by the United States military.

Polychlorinated biphenyls: New evidence from the last decade

Millions of pounds of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) compounds have been produced in multiple countries for industrial applications over the last several decades. PCB exposure induces various adverse health effects in animals and humans. Environmental and occupational exposures to PCBs have been associated with liver, kidney, endocrine, and neurodevelopmental adverse effects. We have collected and reviewed animal and human data cited in the US National Library of Medicine from 2000 to 2010. In brief, our review shows new evidence, that is, in animal studies, exposure to one of the PCBs, A1221, induces a significant alteration of serum luteinizing hormone. The effects were more profound in the F2 generation, particularly with respect to fluctuations in hormones and reproductive tract tissues across the estrous cycle. Morphological analyses of brain tissue from rats exposed to A1254 confirmed the results of an earlier work which showed that the relative size of the intra- and infrapyramidal (II-P) mossy fibers was smaller than that in the controls and also reduction in growth was selective for the II-P mossy fibers. PCB exposure increased anogenital distance and prostate size but decreased epididymal weight, epididymal sperm count, and motile epididymal sperm count. No effects were observed on testicular weight or size. The epidemiological data showed an association between diabetes mellitus prevalence and elevated concentrations of PCB 153. Additionally, prenatal PCB exposure studies were associated with a smaller thymic index at birth and could adversely affect immune responses to childhood vaccinations and resistance to respiratory infections. PCB exposure was also reported to adversely affect enamel development in children in a dose-dependent manner. Because PCBs and their metabolites are potential health hazards, understanding the risk factors associated with individual PCBs, PCB mixtures, and PCB metabolites is important. PCB exposures of vulnerable populations (pregnant women, fetuses, infants, and children) are of particular concern because of heightened sensitivity during this period of brain development.

Environmental health and justice and the right to research: institutional review board denials of community-based chemical biomonitoring of breast milk

Recently, conflicts and challenges have emerged regarding environmental justice and research ethics for some indigenous communities. Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT) responded to community requests for breast milk biomonitoring and conceived the Breast Milk Pilot Study (BMPS). Despite having community support and federal and private funding, the BMPS remains incomplete due to repeated disapprovals by the Alaska Area IRB (Institutional Review Board). In this commentary, we explore the consequences of years of IRB denials, in terms of health inequalities, environmental justice, and research ethics. We highlight the greater significance of this story with respect to research in Alaska Native communities, biomonitoring, and global toxics regulation. We offer suggestions to community-based researchers conducting biomonitoring projects on how to engage with IRBs in order to cultivate reflective, context-based research ethics that better consider the needs and concerns of communities.

Social Science Collaboration with Environmental Health

BACKGROUND

Social science research has been central in documenting and analyzing community discovery of environmental exposure and consequential processes. Collaboration with environmental health science through team projects has advanced and improved our understanding of environmental health and justice.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to identify diverse methods and topics in which social scientists have expanded environmental health understandings at multiple levels, to examine how transdisciplinary environmental health research fosters better science, and to learn how these partnerships have been able to flourish because of the support from National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).

METHODS

We analyzed various types of social science research to investigate how social science contributes to environmental health. We also examined NIEHS programs that foster social science. In addition, we developed a case study of a community-based participation research project in Akwesasne in order to demonstrate how social science has enhanced environmental health science.

RESULTS

Social science has informed environmental health science through ethnographic studies of contaminated communities, analysis of spatial distribution of environmental injustice, psychological experience of contamination, social construction of risk and risk perception, and social impacts of disasters. Social science-environmental health team science has altered the way scientists traditionally explore exposure by pressing for cumulative exposure approaches and providing research data for policy applications.

CONCLUSIONS

A transdisciplinary approach for environmental health practice has emerged that engages the social sciences to paint a full picture of the consequences of contamination so that policy makers, regulators, public health officials, and other stakeholders can better ameliorate impacts and prevent future exposure.

CITATION

Hoover E, Renauld M, Edelstein MR, Brown P. 2015. Social science collaboration with environmental health. Environ Health Perspect 123:1100-1106; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409283.

Persistent Organochlorine Pesticide Exposure Related to a Formerly Used Defense Site on St. Lawrence Island, Alaska: Data from Sentinel Fish and Human Sera

St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, is the largest island in the Bering Sea, located 60 km from Siberia. The island is home to approximately 1600 St. Lawrence Island Yupik residents who live a subsistence way of life. Two formerly used defense sites (FUDS) exist on the island, one of which, Northeast Cape, has been the subject of a $123 million cleanup effort. Environmental monitoring demonstrates localized soil and watershed contamination with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), organochlorine (OC) pesticides, mercury, and arsenic. This study examined whether the Northeast Cape FUDS is a source of exposure to OC pesticides. In total, 71 serum samples were collected during site remediation from volunteers who represented three geographic regions of the island. In addition, ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) and Alaska blackfish (Dallia pectoralis) were collected from Northeast Cape after remediation to assess continuing presence of OC pesticides. Chlordane compounds, DDT compounds, mirex, and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were the most prevalent and present at the highest concentrations in both fish tissues and human serum samples. After controlling for age and gender, activities near the Northeast Cape FUDS were associated with an increase in serum HCB as compared to residents of the farthest village from the site. Positive but nonsignificant relationships for sum-chlordane and sum-DDT were also found. Organochlorine concentrations in fish samples did not show clear geographic trends, but appear elevated compared to other sites in Alaska. Taken together, data suggest that contamination of the local environment at the Northeast Cape FUDS may increase exposure to select persistent OC pesticides.

Community-based participatory research projects and policy engagement to protect environmental health on St Lawrence Island, Alaska

Objectives

This article synthesizes discussion of collaborative research results, interventions and policy engagement for St Lawrence Island (SLI), Alaska, during the years 2000–2012.

Methods

As part of on-going community-based participatory research (CBPR) studies on SLI, 5 discrete exposure-assessment projects were conducted: (a) a biomonitoring study of human blood serum; (b–d) 3 investigations of levels of contaminants in environmental media at an abandoned military site at Northeast Cape – using sediment cores and plants, semi-permeable membrane devices and blackfish, respectively; and (e) a study of traditional foods.

Results

Blood serum in residents of SLI showed elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) with higher levels among those exposed to the military site at Northeast Cape, an important traditional subsistence-use area. Environmental studies at the military site demonstrated that the site is a continuing source of PCBs to a major watershed, and that clean-up operations at the military site generated PCB-contaminated dust on plants in the region. Important traditional foods eaten by the people of SLI showed elevated concentrations of PCBs, which are primarily derived from the long-range transport of persistent pollutants that are transported by atmospheric and marine currents from more southerly latitudes to the north.

Interventions

An important task for all CBPR projects is to conduct intervention strategies as needed in response to research results. Because of the findings of the CBPR projects on SLI, the CBPR team and the people of the Island are actively engaging in interventions to ensure cleanup of the formerly used military sites; reform chemicals policy on a national level; and eliminate persistent pollutants internationally. The goal is to make the Island and other northern/Arctic communities safe for themselves and future generations.

Conclusions

As part of the CBPR projects conducted from 2000 to 2012, a series of exposure assessments demonstrate that the leaders of SLI have reason to be concerned about the health of people due to the presence of carcinogenic chemicals as measured in biomonitoring and environmental samples and important traditional foods.

Indigenous peoples of North America: environmental exposures and reproductive justice

BACKGROUND

Indigenous American communities face disproportionate health burdens and environmental health risks compared with the average North American population. These health impacts are issues of both environmental and reproductive justice.

OBJECTIVES

In this commentary, we review five indigenous communities in various stages of environmental health research and discuss the intersection of environmental health and reproductive justice issues in these communities as well as the limitations of legal recourse.

DISCUSSION

The health disparities impacting life expectancy and reproductive capabilities in indigenous communities are due to a combination of social, economic, and environmental factors. The system of federal environmental and Indian law is insufficient to protect indigenous communities from environmental contamination. Many communities are interested in developing appropriate research partnerships in order to discern the full impact of environmental contamination and prevent further damage.

CONCLUSIONS

Continued research involving collaborative partnerships among scientific researchers, community members, and health care providers is needed to determine the impacts of this contamination and to develop approaches for remediation and policy interventions.

Assessing the potential for rhizoremediation of PCB contaminated soils in northern regions using native tree species

Rhizosphere bioremediation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) offers a potentially inexpensive approach to remediating contaminated soils that is particularly attractive in remote regions including the Arctic. We assessed the abilities of two tree species native to Alaska, Salix alaxensis (felt-leaf willow) and Picea glauca (white spruce), to promote microbial biodegradation of PCBs via the release of phytochemicals upon fine root death. Crushed fine roots, biphenyl (PCB analogue) or salicylate (willow secondary compound) were added to microcosms containing soil spiked with PCBs and resultant PCB disappearance, soil toxicity and microbial community changes were examined. After 180d, soil treated with willow root crushates showed a significantly greater PCB loss than untreated soils for some PCB congeners, including the toxic congeners, PCB 77, 105 and 169, and showed a similar PCB loss pattern (in both extent of degradation and congeners degraded) to biphenyl-treated microcosms. Neither P. glauca (white spruce) roots nor salicylate enhanced PCB loss, indicating that biostimulation is plant species specific and was not mediated by salicylate. Soil toxicity assessed using the Microtox bioassay indicated that the willow treatment resulted in a less toxic soil environment. Molecular microbial community analyses indicated that biphenyl and salicylate promoted shifts in microbial community structure and composition that differed distinctly from each other and from the crushed root treatments. The biphenyl utilizing bacterium, Cupriavidus spp. was isolated from the soil. The findings suggest that S. alaxensis may be an effective plant for rhizoremediation by altering microbial community structure, enhancing the loss of some PCB congeners and reducing the toxicity of the soil environment.

Organochlorine and metal contaminants in traditional foods from St. Lawrence Island, Alaska

Marine mammals (bowhead whale, walrus, and various seals) constitute the major component of the diet of the Yupik people of St. Lawrence Island, Alaska. St. Lawrence Island residents have higher serum concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) than in the general U.S. population. In order to determine potential sources, traditional food samples were collected from 2004 to 2009 and analyzed for PCBs, three chlorinated pesticides, and seven heavy metals (mercury, copper, zinc, arsenic, selenium, cadmium, and lead). Concentrations of PCB in rendered oils (193-421 ppb) and blubber (73-317 ppb) from all marine mammal samples were at levels that trigger advisories for severely restricted consumption, using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fish consumption advisories. Concentrations of pesticides were lower, but were still elevated. The highest PCB concentrations were found in polar bear (445 ppb) and the lowest in reindeer adipose tissue (2 ppb). Marine mammal and polar bear meat in general have PCB concentrations that were 1-5% of those in rendered oils or adipose tissue. PCB concentrations in organs were higher than meat. Concentrations of metals in oils and meats from all species were relatively low, but increased levels of mercury, cadmium, copper, and zinc were present in some liver and kidney samples. Mercury and arsenic were found in lipid-rich samples, indicating organometals. These results show that the source of the elevated concentrations of these contaminants in the Yupik population is primarily from consumption of marine mammal blubber and rendered oils.

Levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and three organochlorine pesticides in fish from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska

BACKGROUND

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and chlorinated pesticides, have been shown to have many adverse human health effects. These contaminants therefore may pose a risk to Alaska Natives that follow a traditional diet high in marine mammals and fish, in which POPs bioaccumulate.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

This study examined the levels of PCBs and three pesticides [p, p'-DDE, mirex, and hexachlorobenzene (HCB)] in muscle tissue from nine fish species from several locations around the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. The highest median PCB level was found in rock sole (Lepidopsetta bilineata, 285 ppb, wet weight), while the lowest level was found in rock greenling (Hexagrammos lagocephalus, 104 ppb, wet weight). Lipid adjusted PCB values were also calculated and significant interspecies differences were found. Again, rock sole had the highest level (68,536 ppb, lipid weight). Concerning the PCB congener patterns, the more highly chlorinated congeners were most common as would be expected due to their greater persistence. Among the pesticides, p, p'-DDE generally dominated, and the highest level was found in sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka, 6.9 ppb, wet weight). The methodology developed by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) was used to calculate risk-based consumption limits for the analyzed fish species. For cancer health endpoints for PCBs, all species would trigger strict advisories of between two and six meals per year, depending upon species. For noncancer effects by PCBs, advisories of between seven and twenty-two meals per year were triggered. None of the pesticides triggered consumption limits.

CONCLUSION

The fish analyzed, mainly from Adak, contain significant concentrations of POPs, in particular PCBs, which raises the question whether these fish are safe to eat, particularly for sensitive populations. However when assessing any risk of the traditional diet, one must also consider the many health and cultural benefits from eating fish.

Collaboration versus communication: The Department of Energy's Amchitka Island and the Aleut Community

Increasingly managers and scientists are recognizing that solving environmental problems requires the inclusion of a wide range of disciplines, governmental agencies, Native American tribes, and other stakeholders. Usually such inclusion involves communication at the problem-formulation phase, and at the end to report findings. This paper examines participatory research, the differences between the traditional stakeholder involvement method of communication (often one-way, at the beginning and the end), compared to full collaboration, where parties are actively involved in the scientific process. Using the Department of Energy's (DOE) Amchitka Island in the Aleutians as a case study, we demonstrate that the inclusion of Aleut people throughout the process resulted in science that was relevant not only to the agency's needs and to the interested and affected parties, but that led to a solution. Amchitka Island was the site of three underground nuclear tests from 1965 to 1971, and virtually no testing of radionuclide levels in biota, subsistence foods, or commercial fish was conducted after the 1970s. When DOE announced plans to close Amchitka, terminating its managerial responsibility, without any further testing of radionuclide levels in biota, there was considerable controversy, which resulted in the development of a Science Plan to assess the potential risks to the marine environment from the tests. The Consortium for Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder Participation (CRESP) was the principle entity that developed and executed the science plan. Unlike traditional science, CRESP embarked on a process to include the Alaskan Natives of the Aleutian Islands (Aleuts), relevant state and federal agencies, and other stakeholders at every phase. Aleuts were included in the problem-formulation, research design refinement, the research, analysis of data, dissemination of research findings, and public communication. This led to agreement with the results, and to developing a path forward (production of a biomonitoring plan designed to provide early warning of any future radionuclide leakage and ecosystem/human health risks). The process outlined was successful in resolving a previously contentious situation by inclusion and collaboration with the Aleuts, among others, and could be usefully applied elsewhere to complex environmental problems where severe data gaps exist.

Mercury levels and potential risk from subsistence foods from the Aleutians

Considerable attention has been devoted to contaminants (mainly PCBs and mercury) in subsistence foods (particularly fish) from various parts of the world. However, relatively little attention has been devoted to examining mercury levels in a full range of subsistence foods from a particular region. While managers and scientists compute risk based on site-specific data on contaminant levels and consumption rates, a first step in making risk decisions by subsistence peoples is knowledge about the relative levels of mercury in the foods they eat. This study examined levels of mercury in subsistence foods (edible components) from several islands in the western Aleutians of Alaska, including algae (4 species), invertebrates (9 species), fish (15 species) and birds (5 species). Samples were gathered by both subsistence hunters/fishers and by scientists using the same equipment. Another objective was to determine if there were differences in mercury levels in subsistence foods gathered from different Aleutian islands. We tested the null hypotheses that there were no interspecific and interisland differences in mercury levels. Because of variation in distribution and the nature of subsistence hunting and fishing, not all organisms were collected from each of the islands. There were significant and important differences in mercury levels among species, but the locational differences were rather small. There was an order of magnitude difference between algae/some invertebrates and fish/birds. Even within fish, there were significant differences. The highest mean mercury levels were in flathead sole (Hippoglossoides elassodon, 0.277 ppm), yellow irish lord (Hemilepidotus jardani, 0.281 ppm), great sculpin (Myoxocephalus polyacanthocephalus, 0.366 ppm), glaucous-winged gull (Larus glaucescens, 0.329 ppm) and its eggs (0.364 ppm), and pigeon guillemot (Cepphus columba, 0.494 ppm). Mercury levels increased with increasing weight of the organisms for limpets (Tectura scutum), and for 11 of the 15 fish species examined. Nine of the 15 fish species had some samples over the 0.3 ppm level, and 7 of 15 fish had some samples over 0.5 ppm. For birds, 95% of the pigeon guillemot muscle samples were above the 0.3 ppm, and 43% were above 0.5 ppm. While health professionals may argue about the risk and benefits of eating fish, and of eating alternative protein sources, the public should be provided with enough information for them to make informed decisions. This is particularly true for subsistence people who consume large quantities of self-caught foods, particularly for sensitive sub-populations, such as pregnant women. We argue that rather than giving people blanket statements about the health benefits or risks from eating fish, information on mean and maximum mercury levels should also be provided on a wide range of subsistence foods, allowing informed decisions, especially by those most at risk.