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Persistent Organic Pollutants: a Risk Assessment of Vancouver Island First Nations Traditional Seafoods

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Persistent Organic Pollutants: a Risk Assessment of Vancouver Island First Nations Traditional Seafoods Running head: RISK ASSESSMENT OF TRADITIONAL SEAFOODS PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS: A RISK ASSESSMENT OF VANCOUVER ISLAND FIRST NATIONS TRADITIONAL SEAFOODS By AMELIA ANNE PORTER B.Sc., University of Guelph, 2008 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in ENVIRONMENT AND MANAGEMENT We accept this thesis proposal as conforming to the required standard .......................................................... Dr. Peter S. Ross, Thesis Supervisor Vancouver Aquarium, Vancouver, BC .......................................................... Thesis Coordinator School of Environment and Sustainability .......................................................... Director School of Environment and Sustainability ROYAL ROADS UNIVERSITY September 2014 © Amelia Anne Porter, 2014 RISK ASSESSMENT OF TRADITIONAL SEAFOODS 2 Abstract Traditional seafoods are integral to the health and culture of coastal First Nations in British Columbia. However, concerns about ocean pollutants have prompted a need for a human health risk assessment which captures consumption, contaminant exposure, and risk assessment. This study builds on previous contaminant measurements and dietary surveys by assessing risks associated with dioxin-like compounds, PCBs, and PBDEs in traditional seafoods consumed by five Vancouver Island First Nations. Non-cancer risks for respondents fell below levels of concern using Health Canada guidance, but 8% and 7% of respondents were deemed to be at risk of non-cancer risks from dioxin-like compounds and PCBs respectively, using US EPA guidance. Increased risk of cancer using US EPA guidance was associated with estimated exposure to dioxin-like compounds and PCBs. Results suggest that some persistent organic pollutants present risks to traditional seafood consumers, but nutritional and social benefits are expected to outweigh the risks. RISK ASSESSMENT OF TRADITIONAL SEAFOODS 3 Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................................ 2 Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ 3 List of Figures .................................................................................................................................. 7 List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. 10 Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... 14 Abbreviations and Acronyms ........................................................................................................ 15 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 17 Contemporary Importance of Traditional Seafoods .................................................................. 17 Global Contamination by Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) .............................................. 18 Toxicological Health Risks ....................................................................................................... 19 Dioxin-like toxic equivalency (TEQ). ................................................................................... 20 Contaminants in the Coastal Food Web .................................................................................... 20 Vancouver Island First Nations as Important Consumers of Seafoods ..................................... 22 First Nations Human Health Risk Assessment .......................................................................... 23 Companion Studies .................................................................................................................... 24 Dietary Analysis. ................................................................................................................... 25 Contaminant Analysis. .......................................................................................................... 26 Research Question & Objectives ................................................................................................... 29 Research Question ..................................................................................................................... 29 Research Objectives .................................................................................................................. 29 Methodology .................................................................................................................................. 30 Risk Assessment Framework .................................................................................................... 30 RISK ASSESSMENT OF TRADITIONAL SEAFOODS 4 Problem Formulation ................................................................................................................. 32 Toxicity Assessment .................................................................................................................. 34 Exposure Assessment ................................................................................................................ 37 Risk Characterization ................................................................................................................ 38 Non-carcinogen Risk Quantification ......................................................................................... 38 Carcinogen Risk Quantification ................................................................................................ 39 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................. 39 Benefits and Countervailing Risks ............................................................................................ 41 Results ........................................................................................................................................... 41 Toxicity Assessment .................................................................................................................. 41 Exposure Assessment ................................................................................................................ 44 Non-carcinogen Risk Assessment ............................................................................................. 47 Four sentinel seafood species. ............................................................................................... 47 Species concentration, exposure, and risk comparisons. ....................................................... 52 Estimating non-cancer risk for a larger portion of the seafood diet. ..................................... 53 Note: HQ values greater than Health Canada’s acceptable level of 1.0 are in boldface Carcinogen Risk Quantification ................................................................................................ 56 Four sentinel species. ............................................................................................................. 56 Estimating cancer risk for a larger portion of the seafood diet. ............................................ 60 Risks Compared Between Receptor Groups ............................................................................. 62 RISK ASSESSMENT OF TRADITIONAL SEAFOODS 5 Gender. .................................................................................................................................. 62 Age. ....................................................................................................................................... 62 Community. ........................................................................................................................... 63 Qualitative Sensitivity Analysis ................................................................................................ 67 Benefits and Countervailing Risks ............................................................................................ 68 Nutrition and physical health benefits. .................................................................................. 69 Social, cultural, spiritual, traditional, and economic benefits. .............................................. 69 Countervailing risks. .............................................................................................................. 70 Discussion ...................................................................................................................................... 70 Interpretation of Study Findings ................................................................................................ 70 Seafood Safety in Context ......................................................................................................... 72 Factors Not Considered In This Study ...................................................................................... 74 Sensitive consumers. ............................................................................................................. 74 Cooking loss. ......................................................................................................................... 74 Additional exposure routes. ................................................................................................... 75 Additional
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