Cadmium exposure in First Nations communities of the Northwest Territories, Canada: smoking is a greater contributor than consumption of cadmium-accumulating organ meats

Abstract

Traditional food consumption among northern populations is associated with improved nutrition but occasionally can also increase contaminant exposure. High levels of cadmium in the organs of moose from certain regions of the Northwest Territories, Canada, led to the release of consumption notices. These notices recommended that individuals limit their consumption of kidney and liver from moose harvested from the Southern Mackenzie Mountain. A human biomonitoring project was designed to better characterize exposure and risks from contaminants, including cadmium, among Dene/Métis communities of the Northwest Territories Mackenzie Valley, Canada. The project included a dietary assessment (food frequency questionnaire) to estimate moose and caribou organ (kidney and liver) consumption, as well as urine and blood sampling for the measurement of cadmium concentration using mass spectrometry. For a subset of the samples, urine cotinine was also quantified. The results from this biomonitoring research show that cadmium levels in urine (GM = 0.32 μg L-1) and blood (GM = 0.58 μg L-1) are similar to those observed in other populations in Canada. For the 38% of participants reporting eating game organs, current traditional food consumption patterns were not associated with cadmium biomarker levels. Instead, smoking appeared to be the main determinant of cadmium exposure. These results are supporting ongoing efforts at the community and territorial level to identify health priorities and design follow up plans in response to environmental monitoring data.

Levels and determinants of adipose tissue cadmium concentrations in an adult cohort from Southern Spain

“…In fact, Ratelle et al have recently identifed smoking as the main predictor of Cd concentrations in urine and blood in Northwestern Canadian communities population, even more important than a diet rich in animal organs, e.g. liver and kidney (Ratelle et al, 2018). In the present study, we evidenced a positive association between age and Cd concentrations in adipose tissue.…”

Diethylnitrosamine aggravates cadmium-induced hepatorenal oxidative damage in prepubertal rats

“…Childhood is a critical developmental phase that is highly susceptible to toxic insults (Khreis et al, 2017; Perera, 2008; Perera et al, 2018) compared with adulthood. Moreover, children’s health problems as a result of exposure to environmental contaminants are of global major concern (Lanphear et al, 2005; Ratelle et al, 2018; Rogan, 1995). The childhood stage is a critical developmental phase that is highly susceptible to toxic insult than the adult.…”

A probabilistic hazard and risk assessment of exposure to metals and organohalogens associated with a traditional diet in the Indigenous communities of Eeyou Istchee (northern Quebec, Canada)

“…For example, the HQ 95 for exposure to Hg from the consumption of walleye is approaching 1.00 for men, and though this is a known contaminant issue in the study region (Moriarity et al 2020b ; Moriarity et al 2020a ), it is important to highlight that exposure to Hg continues to be an issue in the study region and requires follow-up monitoring. Additionally, exposure to metals in Indigenous communities is linked to lifestyle factors (e.g., Cd) such as smoking (Charania et al 2014 ; Ratelle et al 2018 ) or the use of Pb ammunition (Liberda et al 2018 ; Tsuji et al 2008a , 2008b ; Tsuji et al 1999 ; Tsuji et al 2009 ; Tsuji and Nieboer 1997 ) to hunt traditional foods and are therefore not directly related to a risk of exposure directly from a contaminated natural environment. Additionally, since the consumption of these traditional foods does not demonstrate metal exposure hazards in our present study, the discussion of our results is therefore focused on the risk of exposure to organohalogens.…”