Dr. Laurie Chan, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Toxicology and Environmental Health, Director of the Center for Advanced Research in Environmental Genomics, University of Ottawa, spoke at the Commission for Environmental Cooperation's (CEC) Chemicals Management Forum en San Antonio, Texas, July 15, 2012. More information at http://www.cec.org/chemicals2012

1. Chemical Pollution, Ecosystem
Health and Food Security
Laurie Hing Man Chan, Ph.D.
Professor and Canada Research Chair
in Toxicology and Environmental Health
University of Ottawa

2. NSC34 Neuronal neuron spinal chord × hybrid Cell Line
*** 0 µM MeHg
350
*** 1µM MeHg
##
LDH release (%of control)
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
BAPTA-AM 5 µM
Figure 7: Effect of intracellular calcium chelator BAPTA/AM on MeHg-
induced cell death

3. Community–based Research
Is our food and water safe?

4. First Nations: 700,000 n

5. Inuit: 50,000 n

6. First Nations Holistic
Health Determinants Model
AFN, 2005

7. Ecosystem Health biosphere
global ecosystem
regional ecosystem
local ecosytem
community
home + workplace
economic factors
biological factors
Health
& well-being
biophysical elements socio-political
situation
chemical pollution
culture

11. High illness rate near oilsands worrisome,
says Alberta health official
Last Updated Fri, 10 Mar 2006 13:00:46 EST CBC News
Leukemia, lymphomas, lupus,
and autoimmune diseases, have
been diagnosed in Fort
Chipewyan, a community of about
1,200 people living 300 kilometres
north of Fort McMurray.

12. National Pollutant Release Inventory
Distribution

13. Distribution of Aboriginal Communities across
Canada

14. Aboriginal Communities and NPRI Facilities

15. Releases of Pollutants Across and
Number of Aboriginal Communities
that are within 50 km
Pollutant Facilities Sum Units Communities Population
Release
Cadmium 151 160800 kg 145 83200
Lead 311 1670700 kg 176 91500
Arsenic 127 203700 kg 150 78100
Mercury 172 4500 kg 135 80100
Dioxins and Furans 190 70 g 212 99400
Ammonia 251 33900 tonnes 195 105900
Carbon Monoxide 503 544000 tonnes 291 145700
Sulphur Dioxide 344 1043700 tonnes 226 121300
Particulate Matter (PM) 565 107800 tonnes 291 144900
PM2.5 877 36600 tonnes 336 182900
PM10 978 62000 tonnes 348 177600
Volatile Organic Carbon 719 158900 tonnes 290 147600

17. Birth Outcomes for communities within the Interior
Health region by watershed
17

19. Long Range Transport of Global
Pollutants
AMAP 2005

20. Tracking Pollution from China to
N. America
NASA 2008

21. Persistent Bioaccumulative and Toxic
(PBT) Compounds
• PBT pollutants are chemicals that are toxic
• persist in the environment and
• bioaccumulate in food chains and, thus,
• pose risks to human health and ecosystems

22. Persistent Bioaccumulative and Toxic
(PBT) Compounds
• alkyl-lead
• DDT, DDD, DDE
• mercury and its
compounds • PCBs
• PAH - benzo(a)pyrene • hexachlorobenzene
• dioxins and furans toxaphene
• mirex PBDE
• Chlordane PFOS
aldrin/dieldrin
http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/pbt/cheminfo.htm

23. 800
Mean PFC Exposure (ng/day)
Traditional Foods
700 Market Foods
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
male female male female male female male female
<20 20-40 41-60 >60
Age and Gender Group

24. Eat traditional food?
RISKS BENEFITS
Contaminants Nutrition
(health risks uncertain) Taste
Social + cultural values
Health (fitness, etc.)
Saves $

25. Statistics Canada,
2005

26. ↓ density ↑ concern of
↓ harvesting
of environmental
↓ number species contaminants
of plant
species
Loss of Traditional
Food Systems
↓ culture
specific food ↑ sedentary ↓ dietary ↓ cultural moral
activities life diversity
OBESITY, DIABETES, ALCOHOLISM, GALL BLADDER
DISEASE, HEART DISEASE, ANEMIA, TOOTH LOSS,
INFECTIONS, CANCER

27. Inuit Health Survey
Canadian Icebreaker:
Amundsen

30. First Nations Food, Nutrition
and Environment Study (2008-
2017)
www.FNFNES.ca

31. First Nations First Nations Food,
Nutrition
and Environment Study
•Resolution of the Special Assembly of
AFN
•100 communities from 2008-2018
•Moving from the West to the East
• ~10 - 15 communities per
year and returning back in
the last 2 years
• Random sampling

32. First Nations First Nations Food, Nutrition
and Environment Study
First Nations
Food, Nutrition
and Environment
Study
Water Sampling for
Food Sampling for a
Household -Trace Metals Hair sampling
Suite of
Questionnaire -Pharmaceuticals in for Mercury
Contaminants
Environment
32

35. Stockholm Convention on POPs 2001

36. World Summit on Environment
and Development
“Human beings are at the centre of
concerns for sustainable development.
They are entitled to a healthy and
productive life in harmony with nature”
Rio Declaration, 1992