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BIOL N ORTHERN C ONTAMINANTS P ROGRAM OGICAL ENVIR CANADIAN ARCTIC CONTAMINANTS ASSESSMENT REPORT II ONMENT CONTAMINANT LEVELS, TRENDS AND EFFECTS IN THE BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT CANAD IAN AR C TIC CONT AMI N ANT S ASSESSMENT REP O R T II Chukchi Sea Arctic Ocean Beaufort Sea Sachs Harbour (Ikaahuk) Old Crow Tuktoyaktuk Aklavik Inuvik (Ak∏arvik) (Inuuvik) Holman Fort McPherson Paulatuk (Uluqsaqtuuq) (Teet∏’it Zheh) Tsiigehtchic (Paulatuuq) (Tsııgehtshık) Colville Lake Fort Good Hope (K’áhbamítúé) Dawson (Rádeyılıkóé) Keno Hill Iqaluktuutiaq Beaver Creek (Cambridge Bay) Mayo Kugluktuk Norman Wells (Coppermine) Pelly Crossing (T∏egóhtı ) Umingmaktuuq Faro Ross River Déline Carmacks Tulita (Délı ne) (Tulít’a) Qinguaq Haines (Bathurst Inlet) Junction Whitehorse Wrigley Rae Lakes (Pedzéh Kí) (Gametì) Snare Lakes Carcross (Wekwetì) Teslin Wha Ti (Wha T ) Rae-Edzo (Behchokò-Edzo) Watson Lake Fort Simpson (¸íídlı Kúé) Jean Marie River Nahanni Butte (Tthenáágó) (Tthek’éhdélı ) Yellowknife (Sò˛ mbak’`e) Fort Providence Lutselk’e Fort Liard (Zhahtı Kúé) (¸útsëlk’é) Hay River Fort Resolution (Xát∏’odehchee) (Denínu Kúé) Fort Smith (Tthebacha) Alert Ausuittuq (Grise Fiord) Resolute (Qausuittuq) Ikpiarjuk/Tununirusiq Mittimatalik (Arctic Bay) (Pond Inlet) Kangiqtugaapik (Clyde River) Baffin Bay Taloyoak Igloolik Qikiqtarjuaq Sanirajak (Broughton Island) Uqsuqtuuq Kugaaruk (Hall Beach) (Gjoa Haven) (Pelly Bay) Pangnirtung Naujaat (Repulse Bay) Kinngait Iqaluit Qamanittuaq (Baker Lake) Salliq (Cape Dorset) (Coral Harbour) Kimmirut (Lake Harbour) Igluligaarjuk (Chesterfield Inlet) Ivujivik Salluit Kangiqliniq (Rankin Inlet) Kangiqsujuaq Tikirarjuaq (Whale Cove) Quaqtaq Akulivik Kangirsuk Arviat Puvirnituq Aupaluk Kangiqsualujjuaq Tasiujaq Nain Hudson Bay Kuujjuaq Inukjuak Hopedale Makkovik Postville Rigolet Umiujaq Sanikiluaq Happy Valley/Goose Bay Kuujjuarapik Cover photos: GNWT/RWED, GNWT/NWT Archives/R. Popko, ITK/Eric Loring Published under the authority of the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Ottawa, 2003 www.ainc-inac.gc.ca 1-800-567-9604 QS-8525-001-EE-A1 Catalogue No. R72-260/2003-2E ISBN 0-662-33467-1 © Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada CONTAMINANT LEVELS, TRENDS AND EFFECTS IN THE BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT Editors Aaron T. Fisk, Karen Hobbs and Derek C.G. Muir Contributing Authors: Part I — Aaron T. Fisk, Derek C.G. Muir, Karen Hobbs, Hans Borg, Birgit Braune, Neil Burgess, Michele Culhane, Cynthia de Wit, Marlene Evans, Brendan Hickie, Paul Hoekstra, Zou Zou Kuzyk, Michael Kwan, Lyle Lockhart, Colin Macdonald, Ross Norstrom, Peter Outridge, Pat Roach, Gary Stern, Mark Wayland Part II — Yvonne Stokker Reviewers: Richard Addison, Frank Gobas and Doug Bright ITK/Eric Loring Acknowledgements The editors would like to thank Jill Watkins as the technical editor of the final version of this assessment. Her tireless and skilled effort was crucial for final corrections on the document without which we would not have met printing deadlines. Xiaowa Wang (NWRI) provided valuable assistance on many logistical details in the initial preparation of the document. We also thank Russell Shearer for his never-ending support and enthusiasm for the Northern Contaminants Program (NCP) and for this assessment. We would also like to acknowledge the Aboriginal organizations that have supported the NCP program and its contaminant measurement projects. In particular we would like to thank the community councils and Hunters and Trappers Organizations of Yukon, NWT, Nunavut, Nunavik and Labrador. Their cooperation and active participation in the collection of biological samples made all of this work possible. Executive Summary The Northern Contaminants Program (NCP) was estab- The first Canadian Arctic Contaminants Assessment lished in 1991 in response to concerns about human Report (CACAR) on contaminants in biota (Chapter 3 exposure to elevated levels of contaminants in fish and Ecosystem Uptake and Effects) compiled and assessed wildlife species that are important to the traditional diets contaminant data generated prior to 1997. Most of these of northern Aboriginal peoples. Early studies indicated data were generated under Phase I of the Northern that there was a wide spectrum of substances — persist- Contaminants Program (NCP) of the Department of ent organic pollutants, heavy metals, and radionuclides Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND). — many of which had no Arctic or Canadian sources, This report made a series of conclusions and identified but which were, nevertheless, reaching unexpectedly knowledge and data gaps on the spatial and temporal high levels in the Arctic ecosystem. trends and biological effects of anthropogenic contami- nants in Canadian Arctic biota. These knowledge gaps Under the first phase of the NCP (NCP-I), research was provided the direction for research under Phase II of the focussed on gathering the data required to determine the NCP (1997–2003). Highlights of the research con- levels, geographic extent, and source of contaminants in ducted on Arctic biota under NCP Phase II include: the northern atmosphere, environment and its people, improved temporal trend data sets of organic and metal and the probable duration of the problem. Results gener- contaminants; expanded spatial trends of mercury and ated through NCP-I were synthesized and published in organochlorines (OCs) in freshwater and marine biota; 1997 in the Canadian Arctic Contaminants Assessment new knowledge of food web dynamics of organic and Report (CACAR). metal contaminants; and the identification and measure- In 1998, the NCP began its second phase (NCP-II), ment of a suite of new anthropogenic contaminants. which will continue until March 2003. NCP-II focussed However, many knowledge gaps identified in the first upon questions about the impacts and risks to human CACAR report have received less attention or have health that may result from current levels of contamina- remained elusive and new questions and concerns have tion in key Arctic food species as well as determining the arisen in the past five years. These include: the cause of temporal trends of contaminants of concern in key indi- high and variable levels of mercury in freshwater fish; cator Arctic species and air. It addressed these issues the regional and species differences in temporal trends of under a number of subprograms: human health; moni- mercury; the lack of information on spatial and temporal toring the health of Arctic peoples and ecosystems and trends of new contaminants and metals other than mer- the effectiveness of international controls; education and cury, cadmium and lead; and the impact of contami- communications; and international policy. nants on the health of Arctic biota. NCP Phase II identified three priority areas of study for Approximately 100 “legacy” organochlorines (OCs) monitoring of the biological environment: temporal [including PCBs, DDTs, chlordanes, dieldrin, hexa- trend studies; monitoring and surveys of traditional/ chlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) and chlorobenzenes (CBz)] country foods; and wildlife health. The purpose of this, have been measured in most studies funded under NCP the biological environment technical report in the Phase II. Although some studies have measured up to CACAR-II series, is to review the information that 25 metals, most studies have focussed on mercury, cad- addresses these priority areas and to assess the current mium and selenium, and information on other metals state of knowledge on the spatial and temporal trends remains a knowledge gap. The quality of the contami- of contaminants and the biological effects in Canadian nant data generated under NCP Phase II is generally Arctic biota. The CACAR-II series consists of a very good and the quality assurance program is a real Highlights report and four technical reports: human strength of the NCP program, providing additional con- health, biological environment, physical environment fidence in the results and conclusions of this assessment. and knowledge in action. All laboratories generating data in this assessment partici- pated in the interlaboratory quality assurance project i available. These findings illustrate the need for continued vigilance given that there are thousands of chemicals in commerce in the circumpolar Arctic and only a fraction have been assessed for their persistence, bioaccumulation and long range transport potential. There is a need to assess the PBDEs, PCNs and PFOS, as well as other new contaminants, in a wider range of species, over a broader geographic range, their food web behaviour and possible biological effects. One of the most significant achievements of NCP Phase II was the development of temporal trend data sets. These now cover a range of species and chemicals (OCs and metals), including new chemicals such as PBDEs. Critical to these studies have been tissue archives, sup- ported under NCP-I, which have proved invaluable and ITK/Eric Loring allowed the development of temporal trend data sets for funded by NCP in the past five years. New information chemicals that have only recently been detected in the on toxaphene has been generated for freshwater fish¸ Arctic. Many of these studies have provided data sets seabirds and marine mammals, addressing a data gap that stretch from the 1970s to 2000 and have addressed identified in the first CACAR report. However, the qual- a major data gap identify for both the Canadian and ity assurance study found greater variability between labs circumpolar Arctic. These world-class