Biomonitoring programs in Michigan, Minnesota and New York to assess human exposure to Great Lakes contaminants

Abstract

Over the past century, industrialization and urban practices have resulted in the contamination of the Great Lakes ecosystem—the world's largest surface freshwater system—that provides drinking water and recreation to more than 40 million residents. In 2010, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative was launched to accelerate efforts to protect and restore the Great Lakes and surrounding areas. Funded by GLRI, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry initiated the Biomonitoring of Great Lakes Populations (BGLP) program. The objective of the program is to assess human exposure to legacy and emerging contaminants in the Great Lakes by measuring the body burden of contaminants in potentially susceptible populations. The BGLP program consists of a series of cross-sectional studies carried out collaboratively with states that are funded through ATSDR. The first BGLP Program (BGLP-I) began in 2010 and was completed in September 2015 through cooperative agreements with state health departments in Michigan, Minnesota, and New York. The three state programs targeted susceptible adult populations living in designated areas of contamination. Contaminants measured in all populations include mercury, lead, mirex, hexachlorobenzene, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, and selected polychlorinated biphenyl congeners. In addition, some chemicals of emerging concern, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, were measured in several populations. The biomonitoring results helped guide public health actions to mitigate chemical exposures in these vulnerable Great Lakes populations. We provide an overview of the BGLP-I program's study populations, designs, and general methods. This overview provides a lead-in for subsequent manuscripts that present human biomonitoring data for legacy and emerging contaminants in culturally diverse susceptible populations—i.e., shoreline anglers, sport anglers, American Indians, and Burmese immigrants—residing in seven areas of concern.

Biomonitoring of populations in Western New York at risk for exposure to Great Lakes contaminants

“…The sampling frame and recruitment processes have been described in detail elsewhere (Wattigney et al, 2019). The catchment areas were defined as the ZIP codes within a 10-mile buffer of the AOCs, and thus licensed anglers were recruited from Erie, Niagara, and Monroe counties in NYS (Fig.…”

“…Burmese refugee or immigrant adults who had lived in the City of Buffalo for at least one year and had eaten at least 12 fish meals in the past year from the waterbodies of focus were eligible to participate. The RDS sampling methodology and recruitment processes are described in detail elsewhere (Liu et al, 2018; Wattigney et al, 2019). The final sample size was 206.…”

Biomonitoring of mercury and persistent organic pollutants in Michigan urban anglers and association with fish consumption

“…Detailed recruitment results are presented elsewhere (Wattigney et al, 2019). In brief, during 439 shoreline venue-day-time visits, interview teams successfully administered eligibility questionnaires to 2,660 anglers.…”

“…All study activities were approved by the federal Office of Management and Budget (Control Number 0923–0044) and the MDHHS Institutional Review Board. The program development and design, including sampling method, are described in more detail elsewhere (Wattigney et al, 2019). In brief, participants were recruited using a modified venue-based sampling method (Mackellar et al, 1996).…”

Evaluation of the Management of the Laurentian Great Lakes: The Role of Us Congressional Policymaking

“…However, the decline began to slow around 1990, and mercury concentrations started to increase in recent years. In addition to well-known legacy pollutants, chemicals of emerging concern released to the Great Lakes ecosystem are being detected in water, sediments, fish, and wildlife [26]. Chemicals of emerging concern identified as threats to the Great Lakes watershed include per-and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and current use pesticides [27].…”