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Exposure of the Inuit Population of Nunavik (Arctic Québec) to Lead

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Exposure of the Inuit Population of Nunavik (Arctic Québec) to Lead This article was downloaded by: [University of California Santa Cruz] On: 19 December 2012, At: 22:03 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Archives of Environmental Health: An International Journal Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/vzeh20 Exposure of the Inuit Population of Nunavik (Arctic Québec) to Lead and Mercury Éric Dewailly a b , Pierre Ayotte a b , Suzanne Bruneau a , Germain Lebel a , Patrick Levallois a b & Jean Philippe Weber c a Unité de Recherche en Santé Publique, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec (CHUQ), Beauport, Québec, Canada b Département de Médecine Sociale et Préventive, Université Laval, Ste-Foy, Québec, Canada c Centre de Toxicologie du Québec, Institut National de Santé Publique, Ste-Foy, Québec, Canada Version of record first published: 05 Apr 2010. To cite this article: Éric Dewailly , Pierre Ayotte , Suzanne Bruneau , Germain Lebel , Patrick Levallois & Jean Philippe Weber (2001): Exposure of the Inuit Population of Nunavik (Arctic Québec) to Lead and Mercury, Archives of Environmental Health: An International Journal, 56:4, 350-357 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00039890109604467 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae, and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand, or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. Exposure of the Inuit Population of Nunavik (Arctic Quebec) to Lead and Mercury ERIC DEWAILLY PATRICK LEVALLOIS PIERRE AYOTTE Unite de Recherche en SantC Publique Unit4 de Recherche en SantC Publique Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Quebec (CHUQ) Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de QuCbec (CHUQ) Beauport, Quebec, Canada Beauport, Quebec, Canada and and DCpartement de MCdecine Sociale et Preventive DCpartement de MCdecine Sociale et Preventive UniversitC Lava1 UniversitC Lava1 Ste-Foy, QuCbec, Canada Ste-Foy, QuCbec, Canada JEAN PHILIPPE WEBER SUZANNE BRUNEAU Centre de Toxicologie du QuCbec CERMAIN LEBEL lnstitut National de SantC Publique Unite de Recherche en SantC Publique Ste-Foy, Quebec, Canada Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de QuCbec (CHUQ) Beauport, QuCbec, Canada ABSTRACT. The authors conducted a survey during 1992 to evaluate blood levels of lead and mercury in Inuit adults of Nunavik (Arctic Quebec, Canada). Blood samples obtained from 492 participants (209 males and 283 females; mean age = 35 yr) were analyzed for lead and total mercury; mean (geometric) concentrations were 0.42 pnol/l (range = 0.04-2.28 pmol/l) and 79.6 nmol/l (range = 4-560 nmol/l), respectively. Concentrations of omega-3 fatty acid in plasma phospholipids-a biomarker of marine food consumption-were corre- lated with mercury (r = .56! p < .001) and, to a lesser extent, with blood lead levels (r = .31, p < .001). Analyses of variance further revealed that smoking, age, and consumption of waterfowl were associated with lead concentrations (8= .30, p < .001), whereas age and consumption of seal and beluga whale were related to total mercury levels (8 = .30, p < .001). A significant proportion of reproductive-age women had lead and mercury concen- trations that exceeded those that have been reportedly associated with subtle neurodevel- Downloaded by [University of California Santa Cruz] at 22:03 19 December 2012 opmental deficits in other populations. <Key words: Arctic regions, Canada, Eskimos, food chain, lead, mercury, smoking> MERCURY AND LEAD are widespread environmen- Native people who rely on seafood for subsistence tal contaminants that originate from both anthropo- can receive unusually high doses of heavy metals genic (e.g., mining, smelting, fossil fuel burning, waste because they are located at a high trophic level of the incineration) and natural (e.g., local geology, volca- aquatic food chain, along which biomagnification of noes, degassing in aquatic environments) sources. In persistent contaminants occurs. Few studies have docu- addition to the contribution of local sources, these mented lead exposure in Arctic populations. Results heavy metals can be transported from distant sources to from a 1987 survey conducted among Northern Green- the Arctic by oceanic and atmospheric transport. Lead land Inuit hunters and their families revealed median and mercury have been found in all components of the blood lead concentrations of 0.46 pmol/l (range = Arctic ecosystem.'T2 0.1 5-1.1 6 pmol/l) for 35 men and 0.27 pmol/l (range = 350 Archives of Environmental Health Rlollso~ion:Mar~e-FranceGagnon. Unit6 de iecherche en rant6 publique de Qudbec. Fig. 1. Localization of Nunavik. 0.04-1.57 pmol/l) for 32 women.3 Seafood consump- mals. In Nunavut (Eastern Canadian Arctic, formerly tion (i.e., ringed seal, narwhal, walrus, and beluga part of the Northwest Territories), the mean mercury whale) was the likely source of exposure, and age was concentration documented in 286 Inuits between 1972 Downloaded by [University of California Santa Cruz] at 22:03 19 December 2012 associated positively with blood lead concentration. In and 1989 was 97 nmol/l (range = 5-1,000 nmol/l). Mer- the Faroe Islands, 52 adult women who consumed fish cury concentrations determined in 1982 and 1983 for and pilot whale meat had a mean blood lead level of 76 Den& from the western part of the Northwest Terri- 0.10 pmol/l (range = 0.04-0.1 7 prn~l/l).~ tories averaged 53 nmol/l (range = 7-332 nm~l/l).~ Mercury is mainly present as methylmercury in fish More recently, the survey conducted by Grandjean et and marine mammals, and their consumption consti- al.4 among 53 women from the Faroe Islands revealed a tutes an important source of exposure, especially in sus- mean blood mercury concentration of 60 nmol/l (range tenance populations such as the Inuits. Various surveys = 13-249 nmol/l). In general populations that consume have documented the level of mercury exposure in Arc- little or no fish or marine mammals, blood mercury val- tic populations. Analysis of blood samples collected ues generally exist around 10 nmol/l. For example, a between 1977 and 1982 from 142 Inuits residing in recent survey revealed that blood concentrations in Nunavik (Arctic Quebec) revealed a mean blood mer- 1,127 healthy American men averaged 10 nmol/l.6 cury concentration of 240 nmol/l (range = 21-1,269 In view of the relatively high exposure of the Inuit nm~l/l).~Mercury concentrations were associated population of Nunavik to mercury documented in the strongly with consumption of fish and marine mam- late 1970s and early 1980s and the lack of data on lead July/August 2001 [vol. 56 (No. 4)] 351 exposure, we deemed that a new survey was necessary (Pharmacia Mercury monitor [Piscataway, New Jersey]). to (1) obtain data on lead exposure in this population; Samples were microwave-digested with nitric acid, and (2) compare mercury exposure 10 yr later; (3) obtain an aliquot was used for the analysis. We added a body burden data in various subgroups of this popula- stannous chloride/cadmium chloride mixture to the tion, including women of reproductive age; and (4) sample to reduce both methyl and inorganic mercury to study in detail the factors modulating this exposure. In elemental mercury. Inorganic mercury was measured in this study, we report on the biological exposure to lead 18 samples for which the total mercury concentration and total mercury in 492 Inuit adults from Nunavik and was greater than 70 nmol/l. Reduction with stannous on the associated dietary, life-style, and sociodemo- chloride alone allowed for selective reduction of graphic factors. inorganic mercury. We used reference material from the Qubbec Toxi- Material and Method cology Center interlaboratory program (blood samples containing known concentrations of mercury or lead) to Potential participants in this health survey were verify the accuracy and the precision of analytical adults (i.e., 2 18 yr of age) who inhabited 400 house- methods.8 Duplicates were run every 10 samples. holds that were selected randomly from the 1,378 Moreover, 10% of participants provided 2 blood sam- households located in the 14 villages of Nunavik. The ples, and blind analyses were performed by the labora- total population at the time of the survey was 7,078. The tory. Matrix-matched (lead) or matrix-free (mercury) cal- 14 villages are scattered along the 1,500-km shoreline ibration was performed daily and reagent blanks were of Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, and Ungava Bay, and dis- run accordingly. lnterlaboratory quality control was tances between neighboring settlements vary between secured through Qubbec Toxicology Center’s own pro- 80 and 275 km (Fig. 1). We performed systematic sam- gram and that of the Centers for Disease Control and pling after sorting the survey base by household address Prevention (scores of 100% in 1995, 1996, and 1997, to favor a more complete coverage of the territory and respectively). to avoid the selection of next-door neighbors. Further- Detection limits were 0.05 pmol/l for lead and 1 more, so that each village would be represented, we nmol/l for mercury. The laboratory used 4 reference stratified the sample by village, with quasi-proportional specimens of 2.8 pmol/l, 2.1 pmol/l, 1.2 pmol/l, and representation of the number of households in each 0.3 pmol/l to calibrate the analytical method for lead, stratum.
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