Blood and hair mercury concentrations among Cree First Nations ofEeyou Istchee(Quebec, Canada): time trends, prenatal exposure and links to local fish consumption

Abstract

To describe exposure to methylmercury among Cree, focusing on women of childbearing age, we used data from 2 studies. Multiple regression was employed to examine associations between blood and hair mercury concentrations and consumption of locally harvested fish.Approximately 9.9% of non-pregnant women aged 15–44 y and 3.9% of pregnant women required follow-up according to Health Canada’s blood mercury guidance value of 40 nmol/L. 8% of hair mercury observations in the non-pregnant women and 2.5% among pregnant women exceeded the equivalent threshold of 10 nmol/g. The geometric mean blood mercury concentration was 12.7 nmol/L in 1,429 persons aged 8 and over, and 17.7 nmol/L in adults aged 18 and older. The proportion of hair mercury concentrations greater than 12.5 nmol/g decreased in all age-sex groups when comparing the 2002–2009 data to published values for 1993–1994. Among women of childbearing age, local fish consumption was associated with increased blood and hair mercury concentrations.While over 90% of women of childbearing age in this population have acceptable levels of mercury, ongoing intake of mercury suggests that their consumption of fish with known high mercury content be minimised. Reducing consumption of fish known to be high in mercury content needs to be balanced with promoting ongoing connection to Cree culture and land-based activities that are also important determinants of health.

Indigenous maternal health and health services within Canada: a scoping review

“…In addition to mental health, social support, weight gain, and diabetes, the literature also focused on the topic of nutrition and the impact of contaminants within foods and the local environment on maternal health of Indigenous women. The local environment, tradition, and culture play a key role in what foods are available and consumed by Indigenous people living on reserves [ 10 ]. For example, among the Cree First Nations of Eeyou Istchee in northern Quebec, a traditionally consumed and hunted food is local fish [ 10 ].…”

Sustainable or Not? Insights on the Consumption of Animal Products in Poland

“…However, the positive effect of fish on the human body depends on the species of fish and the water (area) the fish originate from. They may contain too many harmful substances, e.g., arsenic [ 17 ], mercury [ 87 ] or selenium [ 88 ], and thus are harmful to human health. This is especially important for women who are or who are planning to be pregnant [ 89 ].…”

Microelement composition of serum in Dolgans, indigenous inhabitants of the Russian Arctic, in the conditions of industrial development of territories

“…In Russia, studies of the microelement status in the indigenous peoples of the North were mainly carried out to study the composition of the hair, and the few studies of trace elements in the blood of Aboriginal people were carried out by various methods [ 13 – 17 ]. Unfortunately, studies of the microelement status of blood in aborigines of other circumpolar territories are also still very scarce [ 18 – 22 ].…”

“…Toxic elements, migrating to streams and rivers in the form of mineral particles, accumulate in bottom sediments and gradually decompose, over time, fall into large watercourses, on the banks of which settlements are located. The local population drinks this water, uses it for household purposes, eats fish that lives in this water and feeds on the microorganisms that inhabit these streams, thereby accumulating toxic elements in its body [ 5 – 7 ]. The danger of areal environmental pollution by toxic radioactive elements and heavy metals is associated with the wind dispersal of mineral particles from the quarry and from dumps of off-balance ores [ 3 , 4 ].…”