Environmental Contamination Related to Significant Health Issues Among First Nations in New Brunswick. Union of New Brunswick Indians March 2015

Transcription

1 Environmental Contamination Related to Significant Health Issues Among First Nations in New Brunswick Union of New Brunswick Indians March 2015

2 Environmental Research Union of New Brunswick Indians MANDATE: To foster awareness and understanding concerning concepts of environmental contamination related to significant health effects within New Brunswick First Nations communities

3 Past Environmental Research Union of New Brunswick Indians Environmental contamination in the major river systems around New Brunswick Identified major sources of industrial contamination on land utilized by First Nations Contaminants identified included: Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Dioxins (CDDs) and furans (CDFs) Heavy Metals Lead Cadmium Mercury Arsenic Copper

4 Current Environmental Research Union of New Brunswick Indians Mapping of the Contaminants Affecting the Health of First Nations in New Brunswick First study to research the effects of environmental contamination on the health and lifestyle of First Nations people in New Brunswick within their own communities Concentrated on environmental contamination potentially caused by: 1. Spraying of pesticides in New Brunswick during the 1950 s into the 70s and 2. The impact of the mining industry

5 Chlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins (CDDs) and Furans (CDFs) Historical Contamination TRANS LINES years HIGHWAYS years RAILROADS 1950 s-1973 ~20 years The intent of the spray program was to control vegetation growth at/or near features resulting in a corridor of sprayed vegetation First Nation+10 km radius Province Roads Railroads Transmission Lines Watershed

6 Chlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins (CDDs) and Furans (CDFs) SOIL SAMPLES Strawberry Marsh, Miramichi, NB Soil (UNBI 2004) Concentration Detected (pg/g) #1 TOXIC EQUIVALENT Concentration Detected (pg/g) #2 TOXIC EQUIVALENT Congeners 2,3,7,8-TCDD ,2,3,7,8-PeCDD ,2,3,4,7,8-HxCDD ,2,3,6,7,8-HxCDD ,2,3,7,8,9-HxCDD ,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDD OCDD TOTAL Dioxins ,3,7,8-TCDF ,2,3,7,8-PeCDF ,3,4,7,8-PeCDF ,2,3,4,7,8-HxCDF ,2,3,6,7,8-HxCDF ,3,4,6,7,8-HxCDF ,2,3,7,8,9-HxCDF ND < 0.02 ND < ,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDF ,2,3,4,7,8,9-HpCDF OCDF TOTAL Furans TOTAL

7 Chlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins (CDDs) and Furans (CDFs) Strawberry Marsh, Miramichi, NB Soil (UNBI 2004) The source of CDDs and CDFs in the Strawberry Marsh soil is attributed to effluent as a by-product from the use of elemental chlorine gas in pulp bleaching from a kraft mill located ~08 km upstream The mill stopped using elemental chlorine in 2001

8 Chlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins (CDDs) and Furans (CDFs) Persistent Organic Pollutants Among the oldest, most toxic and most environmentally destructive man-made pesticides Agent Orange, Agent White and Agent Purple were utilized in New Brunswick ~90% of exposure occurs through eating contaminated foods First introduced in the 1940s and 1950s, used extensively in agriculture, forestry, and in home pest control - most were banned in the 1970s and 1980s Typically very persistent, breaking down exceedingly slow once released into the environment, they are incorporated into ecosystems and food chains accumulating in sediments, plants and animal and remaining for years Classed as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) which cause cancer and other debilitating diseases such as birth defects, learning disabilities, immunological, behavioural, neurological and reproductive disorders in humans and animals

9 Chlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins (CDDs) and Furans (CDFs) Body Burden Highly dissolved in fat - this enables CDDs and CDFs to bio-accumulate in fatty tissues of living organisms, which results in higher levels in an individual than levels in the environment or in food The most vulnerable are the young who are exposed in utero and postpartum (breast feeding) Although human exposure from food can be small, organochlorines do not break down easily and can build up in the body over time Affect human health at very low levels in terms of: Cancer Compromised immunity causing susceptibility to viruses and bacteria Birth defects and miscarriages Learning and behavioral impairments

10 Chlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins (CDDs) and Furans (CDFs) Union of New Brunswick Indians (UNBI 2012) First Nation Food Tested Dioxins Furans Eel River Bar Fiddleheads Moose Steak Salmon Pabineau Moose Roast Woodstock Moose Liver

11 Heavy Metal Contamination Mines in New Brunswick First Nation with10 km radius Province >100 First Nation Land Parcel No of Mines in Close Proximity Mi maq Bouctouche Indian Reserve No16 1 Mi maq Burnt Church Indian Reserve No14 4 Mi maq Eel River Indian Reserve No3 2* Mi maq Indian Island Indian Reserve No28 1 Maliseet Oromocto Indian Reserve No26 4 Mi maq Pokemouche Indian Reserve No13 8 Mi maq Renous Indian Reserve No12 4 Mi maq Richiboucto Indian Reserve No15 3 Maliseet St Basile Indian Reserve No10 3 Maliseet St Mary s Indian Reserve No24 10 Mi maq Tabusintac Indian Reserve No9 4 Maliseet Tobique Indian Reserve No20 10 Mi maq Big Hole Tract Indian Reserve No8 (North Half) 34 Mi maq Big Hole Tract Indian Reserve No8 (South Half) 34 Mi maq Eel Ground Indian Reserve No2 11 Mi maq Fort Folly Indian Reserve No1 38 Mi maq Indian Point Indian Reserve No1 32 Maliseet Kingsclear Indian Reserve No6 34 Mi maq Red Bank Indian Reserve No4 40 Mi maq Red Bank Indian Reserve No7 32 Mi maq Moose Meadows Indian Reserve No4 157 Mi maq Pabineau Indian Reserve No11 217* Maliseet Woodstock Indian Reserve No23 54* *Communities where environmental and health related data were collected (UNBI 2004, 2012)

12 Heavy Metal Contamination Health Effects Heavy metals accumulate in vegetation and pose health hazards to animals and the people who eat the vegetation and animals Heavy metals can bind to vital cellular components, such as structural proteins, enzymes, and nucleic acids, and interfere with their functioning Health symptoms and effects can vary according to the metal, the mixture of metals and the dose ingested

13 Heavy Metal Contamination Mines in New Brunswick Heavy metal pollution is very prominent in areas of mining and old mine sites decreasing the farther away from the mining sites Water bodies are most, without doubt, polluted The metals are transported by rivers and streams as either Dissolved in water or An integral part of suspended sediments Long after metals are depleted and mines no longer operate, contamination persists as a consequence of mining for hundreds of years

14 Heavy Metal Contamination Soil Sampling Results (UNBI 2004) Pabineau First Nation Along Railroad Location Lead (ppm) Zinc (ppm) Arsenic (ppm) Copper (ppm) Between Pabineau and Brunswick Mines Crossing Rte 430 1,890 5, Parallel to Rte 430 1,180 1, Past Pabineau crossing Rte , Contamination decreases in distance from mines

15 Heavy Metal Contamination Health Effects Short-term Exposure Health Effects Respiratory Immunological Endocrinologic Long-term Exposure Health Effects Carcinogenic Brain + peripheral nervous system Heart and blood vessels Gastrointestinal Cardiovascular Neurological Musculoskeletal

16 Heavy Metal Contamination Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR) Minimal Risk Levels (MRLs) Minimal Risk Levels (MRLs) are substance-specific estimates intended to serve as screening levels Used by ATSDR health assessors to identify contaminants and potential health effects that may be of concern at hazardous waste sites Health effects are determined by: the route of exposure (ingested or inhaled) the duration (how long days, weeks, years) dose (how much)

17 Heavy Metal Contamination Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR) Minimal Risk Levels (MRLs) July 2013 mg / serving of food (025 kg) These substancespecific estimates, which are intended to serve as screening levels, are used by ATSDR health assessors to identify contaminants and potential health effects that may be of concern at hazardous waste sites Duration of Ingested mg/025 kg Eel River Pabineau Woodstock Heavy Metal Exposure /day Health Effect Lobster Fiddleheads Trout Arsenic 1-14 days Gastrointestinal >1 year Dermal Cadmium 1-14 days Musculoskeletal >1 year Renal Chromium days Hematological >1 year Gastrointestinal Copper 1-14 days Gastrointestinal days Gastrointestinal Nickel? Cancer Selenium >1 year Dermal Uranium 1-14 days Developmental days Renal Zinc days Hematological >1 year Hematological

18 milligrams / kilogram Magnitude of Minimal Risk Level Heavy Metal Contamination Minimum Daily Dietary Intake Risk Levels Arsenic, Selenium and Zinc Pabineau Trout Fiddleheads Moose Roast Woodstock Trout Fiddleheads Moose Liver Child (40 lbs) Youth (80 lbs) Adult (160 lbs) Eel River Bar Strawberries Fiddleheads Moose Steak

19 milligrams / kilogram Magnitude of Minimal Risk Level Heavy Metal Contamination Minimum Daily Dietary Intake Risk Levels Cadmium and Uranium Pabineau Trout Fiddleheads Moose Roast Woodstock Trout Fiddleheads Moose Liver Child (40 lbs) Youth (80 lbs) Adult (160 lbs) Eel River Bar Strawberries Fiddleheads Moose Steak

20 milligrams / kilogram Magnitude of Minimal Risk Level Heavy Metal Contamination Minimum Daily Dietary Intake Risk Levels Chromium, Copper and Nickel Pabineau Trout Fiddleheads Moose Roast Woodstock Trout Fiddleheads Moose Liver Child (40 lbs) Youth (80 lbs) Adult (160 lbs) Eel River Bar Strawberries Fiddleheads Moose Steak

21 Significant Health Results Union of New Brunswick Indians Metabolic Obesity Cholesterol Diabetes 2. Cancer Ovarian, cervical 3. Reproductive Stillbirths, miscarriages, endometriosis

22 Future Environmental Research Union of New Brunswick Indians Proposed Objectives: Gather and analyze data and information for the assessment of health risks caused by exposure to environmental contaminants Foster community-based research programs Increase local capacity to monitor, assess and take environmental corrective actions People who take environmental action not only have a level of awareness about the issue, they have a clear understanding of how to affect change

23 Future Environmental Research Building Human Environmental Human Resources (BEAHR) Workforce Training Programs Environmental Core Skills Modules Environmental Monitor Training Program Environmental Site Assessment Assistant Contaminated Sites Remediation Coordinator Local Environmental Coordinator Land Use Planning Solid Waste Coordinator Technician Training Programs Certificate of Applied Environmental Techniques Certificate of Environmental Planning and Administration

24 Future Environmental Research Union of New Brunswick Indians Proposed Method With the use of Biomarkers and diagnosis of health issues, examine the association with environmental contamination and the health of the individuals

25 Future Environmental Research Urine and blood collection in order of testing priority for environmental chemicals Measure Matrix 1 Lipids: triglycerides & total cholesterol Serum 2 Metals, trace elements & inorganic mercury Whole Blood 3 PCBs, organochlorines, PBB & PBDEs Plasma 4 Perfluorinated compounds Plasma 5 Creatinine & cotinine Urine 6 Metals, trace elements & inorganic mercury Urine 7 Bisphenol A, organophosphate & pyrethroid insecticides, phenoxy herbicide & chlorophenol Urine

26 A community's true power lies not in its numbers, but in the diverse skills and resources of its members A single person can accomplish things in the short term but only With a unified group solidly behind you, even very difficult enterprises can be attempted without great risk Anonymous