A human-health risk assessment of dietary methylmercury exposure in Fort Albany First Nation

• Main Author: Fatima Ahmed
• Format: Thesis
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: Environmental engineering; n.e.c; Indigenous history; Indigenous health; Mercury > Toxicology; Fish > Mercury content; Fish as food > Contamination; Mercury > Environmental aspects; Indigenous peoples > Ontario > Fort Albany > Social conditions; Fish as food > Health aspects; Health risk assessment; Albany River; Fort Albany; First Nations
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.32920/ryerson.14639886.v1; https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/A_human-health_risk_assessment_of_dietary_methylmercury_exposure_in_Fort_Albany_First_Nation/14639886

In Northern First Nations communities, traditional diets are a primary pathway for essential nutrients and exposures to environmental contaminants. Due to long-range transport and industry pollution, Fort Albany First Nation is a community at risk of methylmercury exposures through fish. It’s ability to bioaccumulate, and its neurotoxic and developmental impacts, make its presence a concern. This study assessed five fish species for methylmercury from the Albany River. All species, except for Pike, demonstrated a positive relationship with mercury concentrations increasing with length. A human health risk assessment was conducted and demonstrated twice the risk of exceeding the reference dose for children ages 3 to 6 for all species, and 6 to 11 for all species, excluding Whitefish. It is recommended that vulnerable populations consuming certain species of fish reduce their intakes or encourage community trading. Furthermore, there is a need for more thorough testing for mercury along the river basin