Title
Nay Yun Nzoo Environmental Contaminants Project (Phase 1)
Fiscal Year
2001-2002
Community/Region
Nak’azdli First Nation and Matimekush-Lac John Innu Nation, British Columbia
Principal Investigator
Clara Jack, Nak’azdli Band, Andrew Jin, MD
Community Project Lead
N/A
Project Members
N/A
Project Summary
The Nay Yun Nzoo Environmental Contaminants Project committee of the Nak’azdli Band determined their community members were concerned about the possible health impacts of environmental pollution from industrial activity, such as mining and forestry operations, as well as pesticide/ herbicide use.
The objective of this study was to collect hair samples from volunteers from the Nak’azdli Band and analyze them for mercury and a series of other metals and substances (i.e., aluminium, arsenic, barium, beryllium, cadmium, calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, lithium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, silicon, sodium, strontium, tin, titanium, vanadium, and zinc). In addition, the study investigators planned to collect samples of drinking water, plants, and animal tissues (fish, moose, beaver, and hare) for metal analysis. The initial phase 1 component of this study consisted of meetings and consultations between the two communities involved and did not include any field work.