ARCTIC VOL. 46, NO. 1 (MARCH 1993) P. 42-48

0.rganochlorine Contaminants in the Country Food Diet of the Belcher Island Inuit, Northwest Territories, Canada MARJORIE CAMERON1s2 and I. MICHAEL WEIS1*3

(Received 19 August 1991; accepted in revised form 17 September 1992)

ABSTRACT. An initial assessment ofthe country food diet at the Belcher Islands’ community of Sanikiluaq, NorthwestTerritories, was made by interviewing 16 families during May - July 1989. Estimates of consumptionper day were established over a two-week periodfor 10 of these families. This information was utilized along with previously published harvest datafor the community to estimate country food consumption ingramdday and kg/year. Beluga (Delphinapterusleucus), ringed seal (Phocu hispida), arctic cham (Sulvelinus alpinus), common eider (Somatenu mollissima) and Canada goose(Bruntu canudemis) were found to be important components in thediet during this period. Results of analysisfor organochlorine contaminants revealthat ringed seal fat and beluga muktuk (skin and layer) fat samples havethe highest concentrationof DDE and total PCBs among the country food species. Average DDE and total PCB valueswere 1504.6 pglkg and 1283.4 pgkg respectively in ringedseal fat and 184.3 pgkg and 144.7 pglkg respectively in beluga muktuk. Comparison of contaminants in seal fat indicates concentrations approximately two times higher in samples from the Belcher Islandsthan from sites in the Canadian WesternArctic, but lower than concentrations reported from various European sites. The daily consumption estimates ingramdday were used along withorganic contaminant analysisdata to calculate the estimated intakelevels of 0.22 pg/kg body weight/day of total DDT and 0.15 pg/kg body weighthay of total PCBs during the study period. Although limited in sample size, studies suchas this provide a framework from whichto establish future consumption guidelines more applicable to arctic systems and native diets. Key words: organic contaminants, PCBs, DDE and total DDT, Inuit diet, Belcher Islands

RfiSUMfi. On a procM6B une premikre Bvaluationde l’alimentation fournie par la nature dans la communaut6 de Sanikiluaq des îles Belcher dans les Territoires du Nord-Ouest, en interviewant 16 familles de mai B juillet 1989. Pour 10 de ces familles, on a 6valuB la consommation quotidienne sur une dur& de deux semaines. On autilid cette information ainsi que les donn&s de rkolte publicks pMemment pour cette communaut6 afin d’6valuer la consommation d’aliments fournis par la nature en grammesljour et en kg/an. On a trouvt que le bBlouga (Delphinapterus leucus), le phoque anne16(Pha hispih), l’omble arctique (Sulvelinus &inus), l’eider B duvet (Somuteriu mollissima) et la bemache du Canada(Brenia cunudmis) constituaient un &ment important du r6gime alimentaire aucours de cette phiode. Les ksultats d’analyse portantsur les contaminants organochlorks rBvUent que les khantillons de graisse de phoque anne16 et de muktuk (couche de peau et de graisse de Mlouga) contiennent les concentrations les plus Blev&s de DDE et de PCB global parmi les eswes servant B l’alimentation fournie par la nature. Les valeurs moyennes de DDE et de PCB global Btaient de 1504,6pgkg et de 1283,4pgkg respectivement dans la graisse de phoqueanne16 et de 184,3 pgkg et de 144,7pgkg respectivement dans le mumde bklouga. Une comparaisondes contaminants dans la graisse de phoque r6vkle des concentrations environ deux fois plusBlevBes dans les Bchantillons provenantdes îles Belcher que d’autressites de l’Arctique canadienoccidental, mais plus faibles que les concentrations signal& dans diverses rBgions d’Europe. On s’est servi des estimations de consommation quotidienne en grammes/jour, ainsi que des donnhs d’analyse de contaminants organiques, pour calculer le niveau d’ingestion estimB correspondant B 0,22 pg/kg de poids corporel/jour pour le DDT global et celui correspondant B O, 15 pgkg de poids corporel/jour pour le PCB global durant la +riode d’&de. Bien que l’khantillonnage en soit limit& des Btudes de ce genre offrent un cadre permettant d’ktablirde futurs schBmas de consommation plusadapt& aux systkmesarctiques et aux rBgimes alimentaires des autochtones. Mots cKs: contaminants organiques, PCB, DDE et DDT global, rkgime alimentaire des Inuit, îles Belcher Traduit pour le journal par NBsida Loyer.

INTRODUCTION as well as the arctic ecosystem. Several studies have reported OCs in country food and PCBs in human breast milk (Kinloch It hasbeen established that measurable concentrations of et al., 1992; Dewailly et al., 1989). Although extensive harvest organochlorine contaminants (OCs)are present throughout the data are available for several Inuit communities (JamesBay and arctic ecosystem (Addison and Smith, 1974; Wageman and Northern Quebec Native Harvesting Research Committee,1982; Muir, 1984), with oceanic and atmospheric transport cited as Quigleyand McBride, 1987; Usherand Wenzel, 1987), the most plausible sources (Oehme andOttar, 1984; Hargrave consumption patterns differ considerably between settlements et al., 1988; Gregor and Gummer,1989). Being lipophilic, these (Mackay and Orr, 1986). It is important, therefore,to determine OCs are accumulated in sediments and biota and are found the specific dietary trends of the Sanikiluaq community,assess to within the food webat levels that far exceed the concentrationsthe OC levels in the consumed biota and to estimatedaily OC typical of surrounding waters (Muiret al., 1988; Bidleman et intake through the diet. al., 1989). Contaminant concentrations in the Canadian Arctic vary considerably with respect to location (Anderssonet al., 1988; Patton et al., 1989; Muir et al., 1990), and it has been MATERIALS AND METHODS noted that Hudson Bay marine biota havehigh levels of contami- This study was conducted at theInuit settlement of Sanikiluaq nation. It has been suggested that this is a result of OC input (56”72’N, 7W14’W) on the Belcher Islands in Hudson Bay. through increased precipitation in this region (Norstrom and Sixteen families fromthis community agreed to participate in Muir, 1988). a voluntary diet survey that provided information regarding Due to the dependence of Inuit populations on harvested species hunted, seasonal consumption patterns, the percentage country foods (Usher, 1977), contamination of the arctic food of families consuming these species and tissue preparation. The chain may have important consequences for the native population eldest womanor the male hunterof eachfamily was interviewed

‘Department of Biological Sciences and Great Lakes Institute, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada N9B 3P4 Turrent address: Watershed Ecosystems Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada K9J 7B8 3T0 whom reprint requests should be addressed @The Arctic Institute of North America ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS IN COUNTRY FOOD DIET / 43 and general information regarding sex, age and occupation was RESULTS also obtained. All interviews were conductedin Inuktitut and written material was transcribed into syllabics by a translator. Sanikiluaq, a small community of 425 people, has an even A subset of 10 of these families agreed to keep specific food sex distribution (52% d and 48 % Q ) and an age distribution consumption diaries over a 14-day period (from 30 May to strongly skewed to ages below 25 years ( > 50%), with few 6 July 1989). This provided information regarding approximate (< 1%) over 65 years of age (Fig. 1). The 16 families inter- food quantities and number of individuals consuming a particularviewed represented 25% of the total population and had an countryfood within each family. The summary data were average family size of 7 members. One memberof each family confirmed by re-interviewingseveral of theparticipating was a harvesterof sometype of country food, representing16% families the following year, revealing that results were represen- of total individuals involved in the survey. Families interviewed tative for this season. ranged from those consuming some store-bought meat to those Samples of a variety of meat and fat tissues (10-20 g wet consuming hunted and caught meats exclusively. This subset weight), obtained by donation from hunters, were taken from was therefore assumed to be an accurate representationof the animals being harvested and eaten in the community during entirethe population. time of this survey. Samples were labelled, wrapped in solvent cleaned foil and then frozen and transported to the Great Lakes 20 Institute at the University of Windsor, stored frozen for six nlonths and analyzed over a three-month period. Each sample (3-5 g thawed wet weight) was ground with anhydrous sodium sulphate, loaded into 2.1a cm by 35 cm glass column and eluted 2 with asolution of 50% dichloromethane/petroleum ether. Clean-up was carried outon an activated florisil(6 g) column ca elutedin two fractions (50 ml hexaneand 75 ml 50:50 4 DCMhexane). Lipid content of each sample was also deter- 3 mined. Clean-up of fat samples required an additional step involving gel permeation chromatography (GPC; eluting with 2 10 55:45 DCM/hexane) prior to florisil clean-up. Analysis far a k spectrum of OCs was performed using capillary column gas c chromatography (HP 5890 GC equipped with an 63Ni ECD and a 30 m x 0.25 mm column with0.25 pm DB-5 film thickness). 3 Contaminants were quantified against known standards and W calibrated against sample blanks. All compounds were found P to have 95-110% recovery efficiencies. Information obtained from the diet diaries, along with previ- ously published annual harvest data and edible weights per animal (Quigley and McBride, 1987; James Bay and Northern 0 Quebec Native Harvest Research Committee, 1982), allowed 6 10 16 20 26 30 36 40 46 60 66 60 66 *66 consumption estimates to be made for the five species that are consumed by over 50% of the population. Assuming that AGE 500 one “meal” is approximately equivalent to g (Kuhnlein, FIG. 1. Age distribution of the Belcher Islands community of Sanikiluaq, 1989. 1989), the “mealdweek” values were converted to average grams/family/week values. Knowing the percentageof families and individuals in that family who consume a certain country The information obtained regarding seasonal variation in food, the average grams/family/week values were converted huntingto (Fig. 2) is in agreement with previous findings for this an estimated intake of grams/person/day for these species during community (Flemming, 1989). Benthic invertebrates are theJune-July period. Annual consumption estimates were gathered in late winter and during open water when ocean-run obtained in kg/year for the same five species by multiplying charr fishing and beluga whale hunting occur. Ringed seal the edible weight per animalby the total harvest count for the hunting is confined to months when there is land-fast ice. The year and dividing by the population size of Sanikiluaq. It shouldresident population of common eider ducks is hunted from June be noted that these harvest estimatesare not fully reliable, since (when eggs are gathered) to January. Geeseare hunted during seal and beluga meat is often used for dog food. By utilizing the two migratory periods. Communal hunts for reindeer, under results fromOC analysis @g/kg wet weight) and averaging thesethe controlof the local Hunters and Trappers Association, occur intake values over 365 days, estimates of total DDT and PCB fourtimes per year. Polar bears are huntedonly between intake in pg/person/day were obtained. Due to the fact that dataDecember and February. Government quotas(25 tags) strictly were collected for the family instead of the individual, an limit the numberof animals taken (Fig. 2). Although reindeer average weight per person 50of kg is used (Health and Welfare and polar bear tissues are consumed by the majority of the Canada, 1980). Tissue contaminant concentrations (on a wet population, they were not consumed during the period of this weight basis) were then used to calculate the maximum daily study.Ringed seal, beluga, Canada goose and charr are intake of specific tissue types that comply with the acceptable consumed by the entire population; eider ducksare consumed daily intake (ADI) values for total DDT and PCB consumptionby 94% of the population. In addition to the seasonal patterns (EPA, 1984; EPS, 1987). One standard error was added to the of hunting and fishing, the survey indicated that particular tissues mean concentrations for these calculations to ensure that the of some species were favoured and others only occasionally highest potential estimate of daily intake was obtained. consumed (Table 1). The heart and liver of ringed seals are 44 / M. CAMERON and I.M. WEIS

C J TABLE 2. Annual consumption estimatesfor key species in the diet'

Edible weight # per animal Total Total consumed harvestedmeatonlyconsumption personper Species annually ocg) annually Species (Wyear)(kdyear) Ringed sealRinged 21.03 020 420 63 149 Beluga 72 372.0 63 26 784 Charr 17 891 2.0 35 782 84 Eider duck 7 615 271.5 422.5 11 Canada goose 4 252 2.1 8 929.2 21 'Data were estimated using annual community harvest values (Quigley and McBride, 1987) and edible weights peranimal (James Bay and Northern Quebec Native Harvest Research Committee, 1982).

The diet diaries completed by 10 families provide a sketch of country food quantities consumed during a two-week period between late May and early July 1989. The percentage values of participating families and individuals in thatfamily consum- ing a certain country food were used along with the average number of "meals" per week of that country food to estimate the intake ingramdpersodday (Table 3). Not surprisingly, these results do not match the pattern of consumption averaged over the full year. Species abundant year roundare harvested only whenseasonal favourites are not available.All families FIO. 2. Seasonal hunting cycle for key species in Inuitdiet, 1989. Arcs bounded consumed some type of country meat on80% of the days within by dividing lies indicate the duration ofseasonal hunts for major country food the two-week diary period. Duringthis time, 27% of all meals species. Species are indicated in separate annuli for clarity. included ocean-run charr (Sulvelinus alpinus), 17 % included eider (Somateriumollissima), 16% Canadagoose (Bruntu TABLE 1. Results of the general survey regarding the percentage of cudensis), 12 % ringed seal (Phocu hispidu), 11 % beluga families harvesting and consuming species, which tissuesare consumed (Delphinapterus leucus)muktuk (skin and fat) and10% beluga and the most common method of preparation meat. No other species was consumed in over2 % of the meals. Tissues fromcharr, eider duck, Canada goose, beluga (muktuk 96 families and meat) and ringed seal constituted approximately 85% of Speciesand tissue consuming tissue Method preparationof (96) the country food consumed during the study period and were Ringed seal Meat 100 raw (81) the focus of our OC analysis. Liver 69 raw (94) Kidney 69 raw (94) Fat 44 TABLE 3. Consumption estimates for key species in diet during the months of May-July 1989' Beluga Meat 100 dried 100 Meat Beluga (75) Skin and blubber Average Average 96 96 (muktuk) 88 raw (94) #meals # grams families people Grams /week /week eating /day eating Canada goose boiled 100 (100) Species /family /family2 tissue /family /person3 Eider duck 94 (100)boiled Ringed seal meat 1.1 550 70 51 28 Charr 100 raw (94);boiled (94) Beluga meat 0.65 325 60 70 19 Beluga muktuk 1.13 565 60 70 33 Charr 1.8 900 70 76 68 frequently consumed raw by hunters and, although nota critical Eider 0.63 315 80 76 27 component of the diet, seal fat can be an important sourceof Canada goose 1.5 750 50 60 32 calories during cold winter hunts. Meat is often boiled; however, 'Data were estimated using diet diaries from 10 families (70 individuals). much of the country food is still stored frozen and consumed ZCalculated by multiplying the average number of mealslweeklfamily by an raw (Table 1). In the caseof charr, both methodsof preparation estimated 500 grams per day (Kuhnlein, 1989). were used by most of those responding. It is therefore repre- 3Calculated by multiplying average gramslweeklfamily by the percentage of families eating and the percentage of people eating/family.This was converted sentative of the diet to use raw frozen samples for analyses. to consumption on a daily basis for an average individual. The annual harvested quantitiesof key species available for this community (Quigley and McBride,1987) were used along with average edible weight peranimal (James Bay and Northern The resultsof tissue analysisconfmed the presenceof OCs QuebecNative Harvesting Research Committee, 1982) to within the aquatic food chain at Sanikiluaq (Table4). Detection estimateconsumption in kg/person/yr. Table 2 presents was possible in clams for only three different OCs (at the consumption estimates for the most fresuently consumed country0.5 pg/kg range for trans-nonachlor, DDE and several PCB food species. Although annual harvest data were availablefor congeners). Canada geese, whichare primary consumers and reindeer, the estimate wouldnot adequately reflect current migratory, were found to have similarly low OC levels in the harvesting due to growth of the reindeer population since the single analysis fromthis sample set and in an analysis ofa pooled time of the harvest study.As a result, annual consumptionwas sample representing ten birds made availableby the Canadian not estimated for this species. Wildlife Service (Braune, pers. comm. 1991). OC input from ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS IN COUNTRY FOOD DIET / 45

TABLE 4. Average concentrations of organic contaminants in tissues of country foods collected at Sanikiluaq, N.W.T. @g/kg wet weight)'

% LPID 1.83 2.43 3.25 87.20 1.42 62.72 1.95 1.78 wHCH 4.1 7.2 406.1 1.3 8.9 0.8 n.d. (1.6) (158.2) (0.2) C-HCH 4.4 7.6 434.5 1.5 12.5 0.8 n.d. (1.9) (174.7) (0.2) oxy-Chlordane 3.7 1.6 206.2 0.7 22.4 0.4 n.d. (4.3) (91.9) (0.03) E-Chlordane 3.9 1.9 214.4 1.2 26.6 0.8 n.d. (4.4) (96.7) (0.1) trans-Nonachlor 2.6 3.8 162.1 3.3 106.3 1.4 0.5 (1.2) (58.4) (0.3) (0.1) E-Nonachlor 2.8 3.9 178.4 3.8 136.7 1.8 0.5 (1.3) (65.6) (0.4) (0.1) Dieldrin 1.6 15.4 187.2 4.6 35.6 1.4 n.d. (5.4) (112.5) (0.3) pp '-DDT 1.2 1.2 129.9 1.4 68.6 n.d. n.d. (1.2) (16.2) w'-DDD 0.4 2.3 17.0 1.2 19.3 n.d. n.d. (0.5) (8.1) pp'-DDE 12.8 35.8 1504.6 0.8 184.3 3.3 0.6 (14.9) (739.7) (0.4) (0.2) PCB #99 4.9 16.3 290.1 2.7 63.8 1.7 n.d. (5.9) (111.3) (0.3) PCB #138 2.5 7.9 217.3 0.6 2.3 1.6 0.1 (69.3) (0.2) (0.04) PCB #153 3.3 11.0 311.8 1.2 24.9 1.9 0.2 (1.9) (80.3) (0.2) (0.02) C-PBCs2 15.4 73.9 1283.4 6.8 144.7 8.1 1.1 (13.3) (15.9)," .-, (322.8) 11.1)., 11.3)., (0),, 'Standard errors are given in parentheses. (n.d. represents concentrations below detection limits.) 2C-PCBs includes congeners 99, 101, 118, 138, 153, 170/190, 180, 182/187, 183, 201 and 203. )Data for eiders include the results of 10 birds analyzed for the Canadian Wildlife Service and two samples provided by donation during this study. goose meat was therefore considered negligible with respect undetectableto in almost all samples; however, the more stable overall native contaminant intake through the diet. Although cis isomer was present at low concentrations. Oxychlordane is widely consumed during the study period,this was not included a metabolite of cis and trans-chlordane and was present inall as one of the species used to estimate contaminant intake. samples in much higher quantitiesthan the original compounds Table 4 is a summaryof average concentrations (pg/kg wet (Table 4). weight) for key species and tissue types. Although this study Average OC concentrations were used in conjunction with had limited sample sizes, results parallel previous studies of consumption estimates for the four key species to calculate total contaminant distribution in the arctic trophic web (Muiret al., dietary con taminant intake in pg/person/day. Daily intake levels 1988). Highest contaminant concentrations were found in the from the harvestdata (Table 2) were calculated using total tissue fatty blubber tissuesof ringed seal and beluga, with total PCB concentrations, excluding fat concentrations for seals. Ringed and DDT levels being highest among analyzed contaminants. seal fat was not consumed during the studyperiod and data were Although found in lower concentrationsthan DDE and PCBs, not available forseasonal fat consumption. It was estimated that several other OCs are notable. The insecticide Lindane contains average intake for total PCBs and DDT over the entire year gamma-HCH, which is transformed into the alpha-isomer by would be 128.7 and 170.9 pg/person/dayrespectively (see ultravioletlight (Oehme and Ottar, 1984). Thealpha form methods). This translates into2.6 pg PCBskg body weighthy exceeds all other HCH isomer concentrations in all samples, and 3.4 pg DDT/kg body weight/day. It was estimated from with highest levels being found inseal fat (406.1 pglkg). The the diet diary data (Table 3) that an average individual consumed cyclodienes are a group of insecticides that includes aldrin, 7.3 and 11.5 pg/day of total PCBs and DDT respectively dieldrin and chlordane (Broomhall and Kovar,1986). Dieldrin, (Table 5). This can be converted to an intake of0.15 pgkg body a persistent metabolite ofaldrin, is found here at highest levels weightMay for total PCBs and 0.2 pg/kg body weighthy for in seal fat (187.2 pg/kg). All other samples contained levels total DDT. Estimates made using the annual harvest data are lowerthan 50 pg/kg.The trans isomer of chlordanewas considerablyhigher and less accurate due to the fact that 46 / M. CAMERONand I.M. WEES

TABLE 5. Estimated intake of E-DDT and E-PCBs (pg/kg tissue from results parallel the relative concentrationsof these congeners Table 4) for key countryfood species using consumptiondata (kg/day) in other arctic regions (Muir et al., 1986, 1988). Total PCBs from Table 31 in charr (8.1 pg/kg) and eider duck(5.7 pg/kg) were similarly lower than concentrations in seal and beluga. Highest levels Ringed (total PCBs) were foundin seal fat (1283.4 pg/kg) and beluga Ringed sealBeluga Beluga Eider muktuk (14.7 pglkg). The OC concentrations in beluga muktuk seal fat meatmeat muktuk duck Charr Total samples from this region were found to be lower than those in Consumption ringed seal fat. The fact that beluga OC levels here are much (kgmeat/person/day) - 0.028 0.0190.033 0.027 0.068 E-DDT bglkg) 2415.5 3.470.8 272.2 3.77.0 lower than concentrations reported in west HudsonBay beluga Contaminant intake (Norstromand Simon, 1990) couldbe due to sampling of (E-DDT/person/day) younger animals, since age was not assessed in Belcher Island bg) - 1.98 0.06 8.980.190.2511.46 samples. This difference may also be explained by the lower Acceptable daily lipid content of beluga muktuk (skin and fat) compared to fat consumption only, which is normally analyzed. (kg/daY) 7.910.35 0.01 0.096.25 3.57 An interesting comparisonof contaminant concentrations can E-PCBs&@kg) 1606.3 55.7 6.8 144.7 9.46.7 be made between Belcher Island samples and data from other Contaminant intake (E-PCBslpersonlday) sites in arctic Canada and northern Europe. There has longbeen bg) - 0.184.770.131.55 0.64 7.27 an interest in contamination of marine biota and several studies Acceptable daily of OC concentrations in the ringed seal species(Phocu hispida) consumption(kglday) 0.030.89 7.30 0.34 7.14 5.56 are available (Drescher et al., 1977; Addison and Brodie, 1987; 'In addition, allowable intakes of key species are given for these key species Ronald et al., 1984; Reijnders, 1986; Norstrom and Muir,1988; fromtissue concentrations and allowable daily intakes (ADIs) for DDT Luckas et al., 1990). Drawing on recentdata, Table6 compares (0.5 &kg body weightlday) and PCBs (1.0 pglkg body weighthy) based on an average individual weight of 50 kg (Health and Welfare, 1980). concentrations of major contaminant groupsin ringed seal fat among three Canadian sites and three sites in northern Europe. Concentrations of PCBs and chlordanesare concentrations unknown quantitiesof ringed seal and beluga meatare used for total of related contaminants, and data from the Belcher Islands have dogfood. Table 5 providesan estimate of the maximum been lipid normalized for comparison purposes. It is apparent consumption of tissues of these key species (in kg/day) that that seal blubber from the Belcher region contains higher levels remains below the acceptable EPSdaily intake (ADI) levels for of PCBs and DDE than samples from sites at higher latitudes total DDT and PCBs (EPS, 1987). in the Canadian Arctic but generally lower concentrations than samples from northern Europe. Due to the fact that the Inuit DISCUSSION from Sanikiluaq and the native populationsof northern Quebec The town of Sanikiluaq is the only permanent settlement on rely heavily on country foods, elevated contaminant levels in the Belcher Islands. This community maintains a close-knit species such as ringedseal require further detailed investigation. family social structure with the majorityof dietary and hunting TABLE 6. A comparison of organic contaminants inseal fat from the habits originating from this structural framework. Other than Canadian and European Arctic(concentrations lipid normalized, soapstone carving and the limited fur trade, thereis little or no expressed as pglkg lipid)' industry in this region (Quigley and McBride, 1987), and an adequate diet for most families would be impossible without BelcherAdmiraltv Barrow SDitzbergen, Baltic Sea, country food. ContaminantIsland Inlet Strait -Norway Sweden . Iceland The generalsurvey confirmed community reliance on country Total 1683.2 794d 5686 2535 84 682 5219 foods year round and provided information regarding seasonalPCB 375Q 3089 variationin species hunted and tissues consumed (Fig. 2; PCB 217357.5 10 220 302 189 639 Table 1). The community harvest data used to calculate annual#153 consumption (Table2) is not fully indicativeof human intake, since some harvested meat (primarily ringed seal and some DDE 1725.5 323d918d 869 12 758 1185 beluga meat) is used for dog food. Thereare also simplifications 2479 331 Q made in establishingdaily consumption (Table 3) using the diary Chlordanes 450.5 463 457 - - - information in that the total family diet is converted into average individual consumption values. The agestructure and differences *Data for Admiralty Inlet and Barrow Strait sitesare from Muir et al. (1988) in consumption as a functionof age have notbeen incorporated and for European sites from Luckas et al. (1990). intothese calculations. By takingthese two estimates into consideration,however, a more complete picture of the Contaminant intake through country food was estimated for contaminant intake due to several key species is possible. total DDT and PCBs from those species that composed the bulk Samples from those key species that were being hunted and of the Inuit diet duringthis study. Canada geese were excluded consumed at the time of the studyare the focus of our discus- from this due to negligible OC levels.As noted in the results, sion. The data in Table4 indicate that DDEwas found in species the daily OC intake estimates from the annual harvestdata were of the lower trophic levels, such as cham (3.3 pgkg), and in higher than those from the diet diaries. In part, this is due to elevated concentrations in seal fat (1504.6 pg/kg) and beluga seasonal variation in species harvested throughout the year muktuk (184.3 pg/kg). Several PCB congeners (IUPAC #99, (Fig. 2). Beluga, arctic charr and ringed seal are dominant #138 and #153; Ballschmitter and Zell, 1980) were detected species in estimating biomass consumed annually (Table 2). in virtually all tissues analyzed in this study (Table 4). These However, during the period of late May to early June, seal ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS IN COUNTRY FOOD DIET / 47 hunting is essentially over and the beluga hunt will not begin and translating both written materials and verbal interviews between until there is open water.Charr, Canada goose and eider duck Inuktitut and English. We wishalso to thank Margaret Lawrence, Mina are therefore important to the diet duringthis period (Table3). Appaqaq, Joe Kowtook, Sr., andMarie Weesk for support and These species have lower contaminant concentrations; hence assistance during the study. This studywould not have been possible the lower OC intake values obtained for this period. without the assistance of the GreatLakes Institute, Universityof Wind- The estimates of contaminant intake from the diet diaries sor, and its staff, particularly Dr. Rudica Lazar. The cooperation of appear to be below the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for PCBsBirgit Braune and the Canadian WildlifeService in sharing resultsof a study of migratory wildfowl and Dr. H. Kuhnlein for sending prelimi- (1 pg/kg body weight/day: EPS, 1987) and DDT (0.5 pg/kg nary data regarding the Broughton Island Studyare also acknowledged body weighthy: EPA, 1984). Although estimates from the with thanks. The study was supported by an NSTPgrant to M.C. and harvest dataare higher (3.4 and 2.6 pglkg body weightldayfor an NSERC operating grant to I.M.W. total DDT and PCBs respectively), the difficulty in determining what fraction of harvestedseal biomass is consumed by the Inuit population suggests that our calculation overestimates contami- REFERENCES nant intake; these estimates do not provideimmediate any reason ADDISON, R.F., and BRODIE, P.F. 1987. Transfer of organochlorine residues to forego consumption of country food. Consideration must be from blubber through the circulatory system in milk in the lactating grey given to the fact that these values are estimates calculated to seal (HalichoenLs grypus). Canadian Journal of Fisheriesand Aquatic Sciences represent the average individual from this community. As a 44:782-786. result, it also becomes difficult to compare resultsof this study ADDISON, R.F., and SMITH, T.G. 1974. 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