Water Quality and Human Health in Indigenous Communities in Canada

Metcalfe, Chris D.; Murray, Craig; Collins, Leslie; Furgal, Chris

doi:10.1080/11287462.2011.10800705

Cited by 10 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Using the WHO water standard (WHO 2011 ), the current study found that the microbial quality of household-stored drinking water in most of the stored drinking water samples from both households with U5 children with diarrhea and households with U5 children without diarrhea was contaminated with FC. Consistent with our findings, a study in Canada showed that exposure to water-borne pathogens and lack of sanitation contributed to major health issues in some communities (Metcalfe et al 2011 ). Similarly, a study in southern Ethiopia identified FC in 80% of drinking water samples, with counts ranging between 0.67 and 266.67 CFU/100 ml (Yasin et al 2015 ).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 92%

Household-stored drinking water quality among households of under-five children with and without acute diarrhea in towns of Wegera District, in North Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia

Feleke

Medhin

Kloos

et al. 2018

Environ Monit Assess

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Contamination of drinking water in household water storage containers and inadequate water supplies are common public burdens in low- and middle-income countries, including towns in Wegera District, Ethiopia. Our study aimed to assess the quality of drinking water and identify factors associated with diarrhea in households with under-five (U5) children with and without diarrhea in Ambagiorgis and Gedebge towns in Wegera District. Stored drinking water samples from households with U5 children with and without diarrhea had fecal coliform (FC) counts of 59 (86.8%) and 55 (82.1%) (p > 0.05) and fecal streptococci (FS) counts of 29 (42.7%) and 24 (35.8%) (p > 0.05), respectively. The very high sanitary risk scores were 32 (47.1%) and 21 (31.3%) for FC (p > 0.05); 25 (36.8%) and 3 (4.5%) for FS (p < 0.001), respectively. Contamination of the stored drinking water samples with FS was significantly higher in households with diarrhetic U5 children in the low- and medium-risk ranges (p < 0.05). Water turbidity of 47 (69.1%) and 23 (34.3%) in households with U5 children with and without diarrhea, respectively, was above the permissible level (p < 0.001). The residual free chlorine (RFC) in all the household-stored drinking water samples was below the World Health Organization (WHO) permissible level and temperatures of all the household-stored drinking water samples were permissible. Promotion and advocacy of good stored drinking water handling practices are essential for decreasing the high risk of microbial contamination in both study areas. We recommend education interventions targeting personal hygiene and drinking water handling at the household level.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 92%

Household-stored drinking water quality among households of under-five children with and without acute diarrhea in towns of Wegera District, in North Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia

Feleke

Medhin

Kloos

et al. 2018

Environ Monit Assess

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“…Indeed, substandard, unreliable water services have contributed to issues with insufficient water 77 quantity, water contamination, and frequent and / or long-standing boil water advisories in many 78 Indigenous communities (Daley et al, 2014;Patrick, 2011). In Canada, a growing body of 79 literature exists describing these persistent drinking water issues in First Nations communities 80 (Basdeo and Bharadwaj, 2013;Dupont et al, 2014, 2010, Eggertson, 2008Harden and 81 Levalliant, 2008;Metcalfe et al, 2011); however, less is published regarding Inuit communities in northern Canada. Water-related issues in Inuit communities are often due to their unique and 83 challenging geography, climate, financial and human resources, and infrastructure (Marino et al, 2009;Medeiros et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How are perceptions associated with water consumption in Canadian Inuit? A cross-sectional survey in Rigolet, Labrador

Wright

Sargeant

Edge

et al. 2018

Science of The Total Environment

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Concerns regarding the safety and aesthetic qualities of one's municipal drinking water supply are important factors influencing drinking water perceptions and consumption patterns (i.e. sources used and daily volume of consumption). In northern Canada, Inuit communities face challenges with drinking water quality, and many Inuit have reported concerns regarding the safety of their drinking water. The objectives of this research were to describe perceptions of municipal tap water, examine use of water sources and changes following the installation of a potable water dispensing unit (PWDU) in 2014, and identify factors associated with water consumption in the Inuit community of Rigolet. This study used data from three cross-sectional census surveys conducted between 2012 and 2014. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to aggregate data from multiple variables related to perceptions of water, and logistic regressions were used to identify variables associated with water consumption patterns. Three quarters of residents reported using the PWDU after its installation, with concomitant declines reported in consumption of bottled, tap, and brook water. Negative perceptions of tap water were associated with lower odds of consuming tap water (OR=0.73, 95% CI 0.56-0.94; OR=0.67, 95% CI 0.49-0.93); women had higher odds of drinking purchased water compared to men (OR=1.90, 95% CI 1.11-3.26). The median amount of water consumed per day was 1L. Using brook water (OR=2.60, 95% CI 1.22-5.56) and living in a household where no one had full-time employment (OR=2.94, 95% CI 1.35-6.39) were associated with consuming >2L of water per day. Results of this study may inform drinking water interventions, risk assessments, and public health messaging in Rigolet and other Indigenous communities.

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“…Indigenous communities in Canada experience more drinking water security challenges than non‐Indigenous communities (Metcalfe et al., 2014; Health Council of Canada, 2005). Canada holds seven percent of the world's fresh water, yet it is inhabited by less than 0.5 percent of the world's population (Environment Canada, 2012).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Racial stereotyping of indigenous people in the Canadian media: A comparative analysis of two water pollution incidents

Burns

Shor

2021

Canadian Review of Sociology

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This article examines the discourse surrounding issues affecting Indigenous peoples within the Canadian mainstream media. We compare the coverage of two cases of water poisonings—one in a primarily‐white town and the other in an Indigenous community—in 282 newspaper articles from the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, the National Post, and Windspeaker. We show that the dominant coverage of these two very similar cases diverged significantly. The Indigenous workers in charge of the water supply were regarded as incompetent and incapable to fill their position while the entire community was described as drunk, lazy, helpless, and perpetually dependent on government aide. By contrast, white workers were seen as relatable and in command of their erroneous actions, while the residents of the town were described simply as the victims of an unfortunate tragedy. Such reporting fails to contextualize the events or point out the injustices of Canadian colonialism, thus contributing to the perpetuation of these injustices.

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Water Quality and Human Health in Indigenous Communities in Canada

Cited by 10 publications

References 2 publications

Household-stored drinking water quality among households of under-five children with and without acute diarrhea in towns of Wegera District, in North Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia

Household-stored drinking water quality among households of under-five children with and without acute diarrhea in towns of Wegera District, in North Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia

How are perceptions associated with water consumption in Canadian Inuit? A cross-sectional survey in Rigolet, Labrador

Racial stereotyping of indigenous people in the Canadian media: A comparative analysis of two water pollution incidents

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