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Pontual MDM, Ayotte P, Little M, Furgal C, Boyd AD, Muckle G, Avard E, Ricard S, Gauthier MJ, Sidi EAL, Lemire M. Seasonal variations in exposure to methylmercury and its dietary sources among pregnant Inuit women in Nunavik, Canada. Sci Total Environ 2021; 755:143196. [PMID: 33183817 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Among populations living in close connection with the sea, rivers and lakes for subsistence, diet varies according to local monthly wildlife species availability and food preferences. This may lead to variations in methylmercury (MeHg) exposure over a year, although no biomonitoring studies have documented this issue in Circumpolar populations, the most exposed to international Hg emissions. Our aim was to characterize seasonal variations in MeHg exposure among pregnant Inuit women from Nunavik and to identify country foods responsible for these variations. Between October 2016 and March 2017, 97 participants were recruited. Blood mercury (Hg) was tested and hair Hg was measured by centimeter as a surrogate for monthly MeHg exposure over the past year. Latent class growth analysis was conducted to identify groups of pregnant women with similar hair Hg monthly trajectories. Country foods consumption was documented by season. Seasonal daily intakes of MeHg were estimated based on concentrations in country foods. Retrospective monthly hair Hg analyses revealed that MeHg exposure was lowest in winter, and highest in summer and early fall months. Three latent classes (groups) of pregnant women with similar trajectories of monthly hair Hg variations were identified: high (n = 20, 21%), moderate (n = 38, 41%) and low variation (n = 35, 38%). Beluga meat was the country food contributing to most of daily MeHg intake, primarily during summer and fall, and was the only one associated with the odds of being classified into moderate and high variation groups (OR 95% CI: 1.19 [1.01-1.39] and 1.25 [1.04-1.50]). These findings underscore the importance of monthly variations in exposure to MeHg due to the seasonality of local foods consumed and responsible for elevated MeHg exposure. Further studies critically need to understand local diet fluctuations over a year to adequately assess MeHg exposure, adopt timely preventive interventions and evaluate the effectiveness of the Minamata Convention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana de Moraes Pontual
- Chaire Littoral, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec - Axe Santé des Populations et Pratiques Optimales en Santé: Hôpital Saint-Sacrement, 1050 Chemin Ste-Foy, Québec, QC G1S 4L8, Canada.
| | - Pierre Ayotte
- Département de médecine sociale et préventive, Université Laval: Pavillon Ferdinand Vandry 1050, avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec - Axe Santé des Populations et Pratiques Optimales en Santé Hôpital Saint-Sacrement, 1050 Chemin Sainte-Foy, Québec, QC G1S 4L8, Canada; Centre de toxicologie, Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec, 945 avenue Wolfe, Québec, QC G1V 5B3, Canada.
| | - Matthew Little
- School of Public Health and Social Policy, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada; Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - Chris Furgal
- Indigenous Environmental Studies & Sciences Program, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada.
| | - Amanda D Boyd
- The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States.
| | - Gina Muckle
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec - Axe Santé des Populations et Pratiques Optimales en Santé Hôpital Saint-Sacrement, 1050 Chemin Sainte-Foy, Québec, QC G1S 4L8, Canada; École de psychologie, Université Laval: Pavillon Félix-Antoine-Savard, FAS-1222, 2325 rue des Bibliothèques, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
| | - Ellen Avard
- Nunavik Research Centre, Makivik Corporation, Kuujjuaq, QC, Canada.
| | - Sylvie Ricard
- Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services, Kuujjuaq, QC, Canada.
| | | | - Elhadji Anassour-Laouan Sidi
- Bureau d'information et d'études en santé des populations, Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec, 945 avenue Wolfe, Québec, QC G1V 5B3, Canada.
| | - Mélanie Lemire
- Chaire Littoral, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec - Axe Santé des Populations et Pratiques Optimales en Santé: Hôpital Saint-Sacrement, 1050 Chemin Ste-Foy, Québec, QC G1S 4L8, Canada; Département de médecine sociale et préventive, Université Laval: Pavillon Ferdinand Vandry 1050, avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec - Axe Santé des Populations et Pratiques Optimales en Santé Hôpital Saint-Sacrement, 1050 Chemin Sainte-Foy, Québec, QC G1S 4L8, Canada.
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