Human health and diet in the Arctic

Abstract

Many Arctic communities rely on local food, in particular marine food, which provides essential nutrients beneficial to health, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids and selenium. However, marine food is also the main source of exposure to contaminants. Two main groups are listed as priority contaminants in the ongoing AMAP (Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme) project. These are heavy metals (mercury, cadmium and lead) and the organochlorines (PCBs, dioxins/furans, and chlorinated pesticides). The presence of these contaminants in the Arctic is a result of the combined effect of long distance transport from industrialized areas and biomagnification in the oceanic food chains. This results in a human exposure level which in several communities reaches levels in excess of internationally recognized limits for intake. Human exposure to heavy metals and organochlorines is discussed in relation to the potential health risks and health benefits of specific food components in the Arctic diet. Risk management must be based on schemes to reduce the intake in groups with high susceptibility, i.e. pregnant women, through carefully planned recommendations of food intake within the frame of traditional diets.