Perfluoroalkyl acid and bisphenol-A exposure via food sources in four First Nation communities in Quebec, Canada

Abstract

Objective: To document perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) and bisphenol-A (BPA) exposure in four First Nation communities in northern Quebec compared to the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS Cycle 5 2016-2017) and examine the associations between dietary consumption and chemical exposure. Design: We used cross-sectional data from the JES-YEH! project conducted in collaboration with four First Nation communities in 2015. A food frequency questionnaire collected information on diet, and PFAAs and BPA were measured in biological samples. We used generalized linear models to test the associations between food intake and chemical biomarkers. Setting: Northern Quebec Participants: Youth aged 3-19years (n=198) Results: Mean PFNA levels were significantly higher in JES-YEH! than CHMS and BPA levels were higher among those aged 12-19years compared to CHMS. Dairy products were associated with PFNA among Anishinabe and Innu participants [geometric mean ratio (GMR) 95% confidence intervals (95% CI): 1.53 (1.03-2.29) and 1.52 (1.05-2.20), respectively]. PFNA was also associated with ultra-processed foods [1.57 (1.07-2.31)] among Anishinabe, and with wild fish and berries [1.44 (1.07-1.94); 1.75 (1.30-2.36)] among Innu. BPA was associated with cheese [1.72 (1.19-2.50)] and milk [1.53 (1.02-2.29)] among Anishinabe, and with desserts [1.71 (1.07-2.74)], processed meats [1.55 (1.00-2.38)], wild fish [1.64 (1.07-2.49)] and wild berries [2.06 (1.37-3.10)] among Innu. Conclusions: These results highlight the importance of better documenting food-processing and packaging methods, particularly for dairy products, and their contribution to endocrine disruptors exposures as well as to promote minimally processed and unpackaged foods to provide healthier food environments for youth in Indigenous communities and beyond.

Low-Grade Inflammation and Ultra-Processed Foods Consumption: A Review

“…Non-nutrient components such as bisphenol or phthalates may also be present in UPF due to the migration of chemical substances that are part of food packaging. In fact, several cross-sectional studies reported higher levels of both substances in the urine of people with a high UPF consumption [ 42 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 ]. Because of their structure, bisphenol and phthalates can disrupt various aspects of the hormonal action and are therefore called endocrine disruptors.…”

Characterizing Important Dietary Exposure Sources of Perfluoroalkyl Acids in Inuit Youth and Adults in Nunavik Using a Feature Selection Tool

“… 63 An association between PFNA and milk consumption was also observed in Anishinabe and Innu children in southern Quebec. 67 Specifically, frequent consumption of cheese was associated with increased concentrations of PFOA, PFNA, PFHxS, and PFOS (but not PFDA and PFUnDA); frequent consumption of yogurt was associated with increased PFOA, PFHxS, and PFUnDA. Greater intake of ice cream was associated with an increase in PFOA, PFNA, PFDA, MeFOSAA, PFHxS, and PFOS in children living in Boston, Massachusetts, 68 and this may be because of the packaging used in ice cream 69 , 70 or the industrial phase separation of cream from milk potentially contributing to higher PFAS concentrations.…”

Plasma Concentrations of Perfluoroalkyl Acids and Their Determinants in Youth and Adults from Nunavik, Canada

“…As such, married (or living together) couples tend to have greater access to country foods (Collings et al, 2016). Market foods and personal care products may be other important exposure sources of PFOA and PFNA (Dubeau et al, 2022;Pasecnaja et al, 2022;Whitehead et al, 2021). Migration of PFAAs into foods has been identified, particularly in highly salty or oily foods (Schaider et al, 2017;Susmann et al, 2019).…”