Title

Assessment of Exposure to Environmental Contaminants through Traditional Marine Food Sources between Urban and Non-urban First Nations Communities

Fiscal Year

2013-2014

Community/Region

Tsleil-Waututh First Nation and Kitasoo/Xai’xais First Nation, British Columbia

Principal Investigator

Bridget Doyle

Community Project Lead

Bridget Doyle and Michael George

Project Members

Pano Skrivanos, Ed Thomas, Charles George, Darren Edgar, Sandie Hankewich, Earnest Mason III and Rick Neasloss

Project Summary

Traditional marine foods are vital to the way of life for members of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN) and Kitasoo/Xai’xais Nation (KXN). Community members were concerned about the effects of growing urban areas and increased industrial activity on the levels of contaminants in shellfish. The objective of this joint study was to compare the levels of contaminants in shellfish in an urban setting (TWN, located in the Burrard Inlet of the BC Lower Mainland) and a rural setting (KXN, located on a remote island off the BC coast). The team also wanted to identify the rates and patterns of shellfish consumption in the two communities.

The study team collected tissue samples of clams from traditional harvesting sites within each territory, and a reference site. The reference site was an area within each territory less exposed to contamination. The team surveyed residents to assess the rates of shellfish consumption in each community.

The levels of lead and arsenic were greater in the TWN than at the reference site. PAHs were not detected in the TWN samples, which was inconsistent with earlier findings. The study found the levels of metals in shellfish samples harvested from the urban TWN community were often two to ten times greater than those from the rural KXN community. The study team felt other pathogens and toxins entering the marine environment could be a possible additional threat for First Nations who consume shellfish. The survey found consumptions rates to be highly variable and the team was unable to determine the consumption rates they had hoped.