Impacts of traditional food consumption advisories: Compliance, changes in diet and loss of confidence in traditional foods

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Food consumption advisories are often posted when industrial activities are expected to affect the quality and availability of traditional foods used by First Nations. We were recently involved in a project and asked to summarize details regarding the impacts of traditional food consumption advisories with respect to compliance, broader changes in diet and loss of confidence in traditional foods by people.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Our review was not conducted as a formal systematic comprehensive review; rather, we focused on primary and grey literature presenting academic, health practitioner and First Nations viewpoints on the topic available from literature databases (i.e., PubMed, Web of Knowledge^SM) as well as the internet search engine Google. Some information came from personal communications.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our overview suggests that when communicated effectively and clearly, and when community members are involved in the process, consumption advisories can result in a decrease in contaminant load in people. On the other hand, consumption advisories can lead to cultural loss and have been linked to a certain amount of social, psychological, nutritional, economic and lifestyle disruption. In some cases, communities have decided to ignore consumption advisories opting to continue with traditional lifestyles believing that the benefits of doing so outweigh the risk of following advisories.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We identified that there are both positive and negative aspects to the issuance of traditional food consumption advisories. A number of variables need to be recognized during the development and implementation of advisories in order to ensure a balance between human health, maintenance of cultures and industrial activity.</p

Absence of mercury effects on fish populations of boreal reservoirs despite 3 to 6 fold increases in mercury concentrations

At the La Grande hydroelectric complex located in northern Quebec, Canada, mercury concentrations were measured in over 25 000 fish as part of an ongoing environmental effects monitoring program. Five fish species were monitored over a 30-year period: the non-piscivorous lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) and longnose sucker (Catostomus catostomus) and the piscivorous northern pike (Esox lucius), walleye (Sander vitreus) and lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush). Total mercury concentrations were measured by standard cold vapour atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Fish population characteristics, such as fishing yields, growth rates and condition factors were also monitored over a 20-year period. In reservoirs, mercury concentrations in all species increased rapidly after impoundment, peaking after 5 to 9 years in non-piscivorous fishes, and after 9 to 11 years in piscivorous species, at levels 3 to 6 times those measured in surrounding natural lakes, then significantly and gradually declined. Concentrations in most species have returned to levels typical of natural lakes, 10 to 30 years after flooding. Despite such increases, the monitored fish showed no mercury-related ill effects at the population level. For most species, increases were observed in fishing yields (by factors ranging from 2 to over 20), in growth rates and in condition factors (for more than a decade). The fishing yield increase was highest for northern pike of the Robert-Bourassa Reservoir, for which the highest average mercury concentrations were measured (3.28 μg g-1 (ww) for 700-mm fish). The biological boom usually observed after reservoir impoundment, resulting from increased nutrients, may have prevented potential mercury-related ill effects

Absence of mercury effects on fish populations of boreal reservoirs despite 3 to 6 fold increases in mercury concentrations

At the La Grande hydroelectric complex located in northern Quebec, Canada, mercury concentrations were measured in over 25 000 fish as part of an ongoing environmental effects monitoring program. Five fish species were monitored over a 30-year period: the non-piscivorous lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) and longnose sucker (Catostomus catostomus) and the piscivorous northern pike (Esox lucius), walleye (Sander vitreus) and lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush). Total mercury concentrations were measured by standard cold vapour atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Fish population characteristics, such as fishing yields, growth rates and condition factors were also monitored over a 20-year period. In reservoirs, mercury concentrations in all species increased rapidly after impoundment, peaking after 5 to 9 years in non-piscivorous fishes, and after 9 to 11 years in piscivorous species, at levels 3 to 6 times those measured in surrounding natural lakes, then significantly and gradually declined. Concentrations in most species have returned to levels typical of natural lakes, 10 to 30 years after flooding. Despite such increases, the monitored fish showed no mercury-related ill effects at the population level. For most species, increases were observed in fishing yields (by factors ranging from 2 to over 20), in growth rates and in condition factors (for more than a decade). The fishing yield increase was highest for northern pike of the Robert-Bourassa Reservoir, for which the highest average mercury concentrations were measured (3.28 μg g-1 (ww) for 700-mm fish). The biological boom usually observed after reservoir impoundment, resulting from increased nutrients, may have prevented potential mercury-related ill effects