Modern water: A biocultural approach to water pollution at the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation

Abstract

Objectives: The goal of this article is to review a body of research around water contamination conducted in the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation between 1995 and 2016, place these findings in a biocultural context, and consider implications for a human biology of water. Methods: This review draws on research projects conducted in partnership with the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation living along the St. Lawrence River as well as published research by others on water contamination at Akwesasne. Quantitative and qualitative methods including toxicological and epidemiological methods, surveys, and ethnographic studies are included. Results: Pollution of a river with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) contaminated local fish, a major, traditional, food source. Following health advisories to avoid consuming local fish, consumption and PCB levels decreased. PCB levels were negatively associated with health outcomes. In adolescents, higher PCB levels were associated with advanced sexual maturation in females, reduced testosterone in males and reduced thyroxine levels in young adults. Avoiding fish consumption

Associations between autoimmune dysfunction and pollutants in Akwesasne Mohawk women: Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and polychlorinated biphenyl exposure

“…Knowledge about the effects and sources of toxicant exposure can decrease detrimental health effects that can last for generations. Health advisories that cause changes to elements of the traditional subsistence pattern have health and cultural effects also (Hoover et al, 2012; Schell, 2020). The consequences of the polluted rivers and the advisories not to consume local fish, not only decreased fish consumption but also diminished a medium through which to pass on traditional Mohawk culture and language (Hoover, 2017).…”

The toll of household water insecurity on health and human biology: Current understandings and future directions

“…Salt leaching into fresh water is another naturally occurring contaminant of increasing concern (Benneyworth et al, 2016; Damania et al, 2019). Some chemical contaminants in water are manufactured, for example, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS; Cordner et al, 2019), fertilizers (Environmental Protection Agency, 2019), and (micro)‐plastics (Schell, 2020; World Health Organization, 2019b). Others are shed by infrastructure, for example, lead (Pieper, Katner, Kriss, Tang, & Edwards, 2019), leach from pharmaceuticals and personal care products, such as anti‐depressants, birth control, and cleaning products (Cizmas, Sharma, Gray, & McDonald, 2015; Ebele, Abou‐Elwafa Abdallah, & Harrad, 2017), or are the result of fracking, e.g., petroleum, salt, radioactive radium (DiGiulio & Jackson, 2016).…”

Water & Human Biology and New Developments for the American Journal of Human Biology

“…Adams et al () draw on published literature to identify the pathways through which extreme poverty and water insecurity interact to shape health outcomes in populations of the global south. Schell () draws on his long‐term research with the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation in developing a biocultural framework for understanding the impact of PCB contamination on water security in these indigenous communities. Papers by Piperata et al (), Thompson et al (), Brewis et al () and Schuster et al () explore the influence of water insecurity on diverse aspects of nutritional health, ranging from the gut microbiome in children to infant feeding strategies, and the dual nutritional burden.…”