| Summary: | Scientists have focused on potential effects of toxic substances on Native populations with subsistence lifestyles in the Arctic. Risks from toxicant exposures range from direct health hazards to changes in lifestyle that may impair nutrition and health. Petroleum hydrocarbons may enter the Arctic environment in a variety of ways. Oil and gas production in the Arctic occurs at a high level and may increase. Petroleum can enter humans through species that form a major part of the Inupiat diet in northern Alaska. In Barrow, 75% of Inupiat households consume bowhead whale ( Balaena mysticetus ), and nearly 50% consume bearded seals ( Erignathus barbatus ). Marine mammals are exposed to petroleum directly or through their diet and may metabolically transform petroleum-related compounds. Based on toxicological properties, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the human diet should be investigated. Limited information is available on the extent to which: a) species eaten by the Inupiat are exposed to and contaminated by petroleum; b) contamination may cause Inupiat households to avoid eating traditional foods; and c) handling and preparation of foods affect levels of ingested PAHs.
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