Patterns of fish and whale consumption in relation to methylmercury in hair among residents of Western Canadian Arctic communities ...

• Main Authors: Walker, Emily V., Yuan, Yan, Girgis, Safwat, Goodman, Karen J.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: figshare 2020
• Subjects: Physiology; FOS Biological sciences; Evolutionary Biology; Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified; Ecology; Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified; Marine Biology; Inorganic Chemistry; FOS Chemical sciences; Science Policy; Aklavik; Arctic; Fort McPherson; Northwest Territories; Old Crow; Yukon
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5051298; https://springernature.figshare.com/collections/Patterns_of_fish_and_whale_consumption_in_relation_to_methylmercury_in_hair_among_residents_of_Western_Canadian_Arctic_communities/5051298

Abstract Background Methylmercury contamination of the environment represents a substantial environmental health concern. Human exposure to methylmercury occurs primarily through consumption of fish and marine mammals. Heavily exposed subgroups include sport or subsistence fishers residing in Arctic communities. We aimed to estimate the association of fish/whale consumption patterns of Canadian Arctic subsistence fishers with the internal dose of methylmercury as measured in hair. Methods This research was conducted within ongoing community projects led by the CANHelp Working Group in Aklavik and Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories and Old Crow, Yukon. We interviewed each participant using a fish-focused food-frequency questionnaire during September–November 2016 and collected hair samples concurrently. Methylmercury was measured in the full-length of each hair sample using gas chromatography inductively-coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Multivariable linear regression estimated beta-coefficients and 95% ...