Mercury Contamination in Arctic Canada: Possible Implications for Aboriginal Health
Methylmercury is a potent neurotoxin found at elevated concentrations in both the Arctic ecosystem and tissues of the local Aboriginal inhabitants. Combined studies of ecological contamination with the possible implications for human health, have made this one of the largest environmental research p...
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| Language: | English |
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| Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.520.7429 http://www.oadd.org/publications/journal/issues/vol13no1/download/elHayek.pdf |
| Summary: | Methylmercury is a potent neurotoxin found at elevated concentrations in both the Arctic ecosystem and tissues of the local Aboriginal inhabitants. Combined studies of ecological contamination with the possible implications for human health, have made this one of the largest environmental research projects in Canadian history. Recent scientific advances have revolutionized the understanding of the global mercury cycle. The major source of mercury exposure is through the consumption of locally derived food sources. Mercury tissue concentrations are reaching alarming levels in some Aboriginal communities. Studies on both animals and humans have provided compelling evidence suggesting that methylmercury contamination induces neurological defects. Cognitive defects have been noted in children exposed congenitally in several other seafood-consuming communities around the world. Defects in motor function have been observed in both adults and children in Inuit Communities. Furthermore, environmental mercury has been linked to both autism and Alzheimer disease. Aboriginals are currently exposed to methylmercury in addition to several other environmental toxins. This may have serious repercussions for neurodevelopment and health in this population. Mercury and the Environment of Arctic Canada The Northern Contaminants Program (NCP) Approximately 7.5 % of Canada's aboriginal population inhabits the Arctic region in the northern part of the country, where they comprise just over half of the combined population (Statistics Canada, 2001). The lives of these JOURNAL ON DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, VOLUME 13 NUMBER 1, 2007 56,000 people are linked to the local environment, particularly through the consumption of traditional foods (Van Oostdam et al, 2005). Mercury contamination as a possible health concern was initially raised in the early 1970s, following contamination of fish due to effluents from chlor-alkali plants in northern Ontario. Similar concerns were later recapitulated in several other communities (CACAR, 2003). ... |
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