| Assessment of Dietary Exposure to Trace Metals in Baffin Inuit Food
Hing Man Chan, Christine Kim, Kishan Khoday, Olivier Receveur, and Harriet V. Kuhnlein Centre for Nutrition and the Environment of Indigenous Peoples, McGill University, Montreal H9X 3V9 Canada Abstract
Chronic metal toxicity is a concern in the Canadian Arctic because of the findings of high metal levels in wildlife animals and the fact that traditional food constitutes a major component of the diet of indigenous peoples. We examined exposure to trace metals through traditional food resources for Inuit living in the community of Qikiqtarjuaq on Baffin Island in the eastern Arctic. Mercury, cadmium, and lead were determined in local food resources as normally prepared and eaten. Elevated concentrations of mercury (>50 µg/100 g) were found in ringed seal liver, narwhal mattak, beluga meat, and beluga mattak, and relatively high concentrations of cadmium and lead (>100 µg/100 g) were found in ringed seal liver, mussels, and kelp. Quantified dietary recalls taken seasonally reflected normal consumption patterns of these food resources by adult men and women (>20 years old) and children (3-12 years old) . Based on traditional food consumption, the average daily intake levels of total mercury for both adults (65 µg for women and 97 µg for men) and children (38 µg) were higher than the Canadian average value (16 µg) . The average weekly intake of mercury for all age groups exceeded the intake guidelines (5.0 µg/kg/day) established by the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants. The primary foods that contributed to metal intake for the Baffin Inuit were ringed seal meat, caribou meat, and kelp. We review the superior nutritional benefits and potential health risks of traditional food items and implications for monitoring metal contents of food, clinical symptoms, and food use. Key words: cadmium, Canada, diet, exposure assessment, Inuits, lead, mercury. Environ Health Perspect 103:740-746 (1995)
Address correspondence to H.M. Chan, Centre for Nutrition and the Environment of Indigenous Peoples, Macdonald Campus, McGill University, 21,111 Lakeshore Road, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Quebec H9X 3V9 Canada. We acknowledge the many individuals who have contributed to this work. In particular we thank the leadership, the Hamlet Council members, community members, and the many interviewers who participated. Special thanks to Billy Arnaqaq, Daisy Arnaqaq, and Ooleepeeka Audlakiak. For laboratory and computer assistance we thank Aghdas Zamani, Rula Soueida, Doug Reed, and Lori Bell. Funding for the initial community work was provided through Health Canada (HWC-MSBHQ88-8901650 and HWC-NT-87-88-014-CO) and the National Health Research and Development Program (6605-3430-T) . This project was supported by the Arctic Environmental Strategy, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Received 21 December 1994 ; accepted 12 April 1995.
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