Mercury exposure and premature mortality in the Grassy Narrows First Nation community: a retrospective longitudinal study

• Published in: The Lancet Planetary Health
• Main Authors: Aline Philibert, PhD, Myriam Fillion, ProfPhD, Donna Mergler, ProfPhD
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2020
• Subjects: Environmental sciences; GE1-350; Canada; First Nations
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(20)30057-7; https://doaj.org/article/bfc5630b4a8f4d5d88ad441bfa05b1eb

Summary: Background: Little is known about the influence of toxic exposures on reduced life expectancy in First Nations people in Canada. The Grassy Narrows First Nation community have lived with the consequences of one of the worst environmental disasters in Canadian history. In the early 1960s, 10 000 kg of mercury (Hg) was released into their aquatic ecosystem. Although Hg concentration in fish, their dietary staple, decreased over time, it remains high. We aimed to examine whether elevated Hg exposure over time contributes to premature mortality (younger than 60 years) in this community. Methods: We did longitudinal and case-control analyses with data for individuals of the Grassy Narrows First Nation community. In 2019, the community obtained their historical Hg biomarker data from a government surveillance programme, which was then shared with the authors. A matched-pair approach allowed us to compare longitudinal hair Hg concentration between cases (individuals who died aged younger than 60 years) and controls (individuals who lived beyond 60 years). Matching criteria included year of birth (allowing 2 years either side), sex, and a minimum of four hair Hg concentration measures, of which at least two were in the same year. Analyses included change-point detection, interrupted time series, mixed models, and Cox survival models. Findings: We analysed data collected between Jan 1, 1970, and Jan 31, 1997, for 657 individuals (319 women and 338 men, born between 1884 and 1991) for whom we assembled a retrospective database of yearly measures of hair Hg concentration (n=3603). Hair Hg concentration decreased over time. A subgroup of 222 individuals (107 women and 115 men) reached or could have reached 60 years old by August, 2019. There was an increased risk of dying at a younger age among those with at least one hair Hg measure of 15 μg/g or more (adjusted hazard ratio 1·55, 95% CI 1·11–2·16; p=0·0088). Among the deceased individuals (n=154), longevity decreased by 1 year with every 6·25 μg/g (4·35–14·29) ...