Mercury exposure through subsistence hunted land and sea mammals among Alaskan natives

• Main Author: Feng, Emilie
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: Lawrence Island; St Lawrence Island; Alaska
• Online Access: http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/35526/; http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/35526/1/Mercury_Exposure_Subsistence_Hunting-2018-12-Feng-Edit.docx

Subsistence hunting provides cultural, economic and nutritional benefits to Alaska Natives. However, there is concern among Alaska Natives about pollution in subsistence foods following the discovery of chemical leaching from former military sites on St. Lawrence Island. Elevated levels of mercury have been discovered in subsistence foods. Land and marine mammals are a particular concern due to their ability to biomagnify and bioaccumulate methyl mercury, an organic form of mercury. While mercury levels are low in most subsistence hunted foods, there continues to be mercury released by military sites, mining operations and coal fired power plants. Chronic exposure to mercury leads to renal complications and neurological damage, and can have long lasting impacts on the development of children. Exposure of Alaska Natives to mercury through subsistence hunted foods is a public health concern, and needs to be addressed to ensure these foods can continue to be safely consumed by this population.