Abstract
ABSTRACTTo describe exposure to methylmercury among Cree, focusing on women of childbearing age, we used data from 2 studies. Multiple regression was employed to examine associations between blood and hair mercury concentrations and consumption of locally harvested fish.Approximately 9.9% of non-pregnant women aged 15–44 y and 3.9% of pregnant women required follow-up according to Health Canada’s blood mercury guidance value of 40 nmol/L. 8% of hair mercury observations in the non-pregnant women and 2.5% among pregnant women exceeded the equivalent threshold of 10 nmol/g. The geometric mean blood mercury concentration was 12.7 nmol/L in 1,429 persons aged 8 and over, and 17.7 nmol/L in adults aged 18 and older. The proportion of hair mercury concentrations greater than 12.5 nmol/g decreased in all age-sex groups when comparing the 2002–2009 data to published values for 1993–1994. Among women of childbearing age, local fish consumption was associated with increased blood and hair mercury concentrations.While over 90% of women of childbearing age in this population have acceptable levels of mercury, ongoing intake of mercury suggests that their consumption of fish with known high mercury content be minimised. Reducing consumption of fish known to be high in mercury content needs to be balanced with promoting ongoing connection to Cree culture and land-based activities that are also important determinants of health.
Highlights
Since the first studies in the 1970s, mercury exposure has been an ongoing concern among the Cree First Nations of Eeyou Istchee in northern Quebec [1]
We report the proportion of pregnant and childbearing-aged Cree women in Eeyou Istchee that is at increased risk due to mercury exposure
We describe the relationship between consumption of fish caught locally and mercury exposure in order to evaluate the balance of risks and benefits of its consumption among this population
Summary
Since the first studies in the 1970s, mercury exposure has been an ongoing concern among the Cree First Nations of Eeyou Istchee in northern Quebec [1]. With a total population of 17,800 in 2016 [3], the Cree live in 9 communities located between the 49th and 56th parallels east of James and Hudson Bays in northern Quebec, Canada. Extensive hydroelectric development in the James Bay Region in the 1980s contributed to the elevation of methylmercury concentrations in fish [5]. In this context, the reservoirs constructed enhanced microbial decomposition of organic matter, thereby increasing the rate of methylation of mercury already present in the environment [7]
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