Asubpeeschoseewagong (Grassy Narrows) - Sellers Final Report 2014

HUMAN AND ECOLOGICAL HEALTH IN ASUBPEESCHOSEEWAGONG NETUM ANISHINABEK

(GRASSY NARROWS FIRST NATION)

report prepared for the ANA-Ontario Mercury Working Group

prepared by Patricia Sel lers, PhD December 2014

FINAL REPORT

Human and Ecological Health in Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek, December 2014

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The government is not a very trusted steward of the land. Theyve had a hundred and forty one years, since we signed the Treaty with them, to prove that they are a good steward of the landthey continue to license industry to extract resources from our land with devastating results...it is all broken trust. Chief Roger Fobister, Sr.

Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek


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Correct c itat ion for this document: Sellers, P. 2014. Human and Ecological Health in Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek (Grassy Narrows First Nation). Report prepared for the ANA-Ontario Mercury Working Group. 61 p +

appendices.


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Acknowledgements I would like to thank members of the ANA-Ontario Mercury Working Group for the opportunity to do this work. I have learned much and am better for itI hope that reciprocity is found in its utility. I

would also like to thank the group and its colleagues, who procured, borrowed, found, scanned, retrieved, sent, and submitted files and documents as part of the necessary and first centralization process. I thank Anna Sanford for her vital assistance in this step and in the creation of a digital

database. I thank everyone who provided feedback on the interim report.


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FOREWARD

The people of Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek (ANA, also known as Grassy Narrows First Nation) were poisoned by mercury released into the Wabigoon-English River system in the 1960s. The source was the uncontrolled discharge of effluent from a chlor-alkali plant upstream at Dryden,

Ontario. Since that time, there have been many, many studies on the effects of this discharge on both the river system and the people. The published work of those studies is contained largely within reports and journal articles that date back to the early 1970s.

My task was to review all the available and published work related to human and ecological health with respect to ANA and to provide a synthesis. The bulk of this report is thus two sections: Human

Health Research to Date and Ecological Health Research to Date. I was also asked to identify gaps in the published work and a make a list of recommendations for next steps and/or future studies. The gaps and recommendations are the practical components of this report and, at the request of the

ANA-Ontario Mercury Working Group, are presented first. Throughout the report, and where necessary, I drew from outside literature to provide context and to help propel ongoing or revived discussions.

Readers should be mindful that this report is a reflection of the relevant information available and in published form, and available at the time of writing. What is not included are a) community-based observations, information, and knowledge that are not published, b) studies that are underway or not yet published c) media publications and d) publications not obtainable within the timeframe of this task. As such readers are encouraged, where possible, to supplement, update, or revise this

document with relevant information that s/he has access to.

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CONTENTS

FOREWARD ..................................................................................................................................... iv 1. RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................................................. 1

For Human Health Initiatives ........................................................................................................ 1 For ecological Health Initiatives .................................................................................................... 2 For Education and Awareness Initiatives ..................................................................................... 3 For design and implementation of research initiatives ............................................................... 4

2. GAPS ............................................................................................................................................ 5 GAPs Research Methods ............................................................................................................... 6 GAPS In Communication, Education and Awareness ................................................................... 8 GAPS In Information and Knowledge ........................................................................................... 9

Human Health ........................................................................................................................ 9 Ecological Health .................................................................................................................. 12

3. HUMAN HEALTH RESEARCH TO DATE ....................................................................................... 15 Evidence of mercury exposure: blood and hair levels of mercury ............................................ 15 Exposure and Development of Symptoms ................................................................................. 16 Symptoms of mercury Poisoning in Adults ................................................................................ 17 Symptoms of Mercury Poisoning in Children and Infants ......................................................... 18 Childhood Development ............................................................................................................. 18 Incidence of Mortality and Disease ............................................................................................ 19 Health Services ............................................................................................................................ 19 Diet .............................................................................................................................................. 19 Fish consumption advisories ...................................................................................................... 22 Effectiveness of fish consumption advisories ............................................................................ 23

4. STATE OF HUMAN HEALTH ........................................................................................................ 25 Community Health ...................................................................................................................... 25

5. ECOLOGICAL HEALTH RESEARCH TO DATE ................................................................................ 27 Mercury Studies .......................................................................................................................... 28

Joint study by Canada and Ontario research teams in the late 1970s ............................... 28 Mercury in fish ..................................................................................................................... 29 Mercury in crayfish ............................................................................................................... 31 Mercury in sediment ............................................................................................................ 32 Mercury in water .................................................................................................................. 34 Mercury in birds ................................................................................................................... 34 Mercury in many wild foods ................................................................................................ 35

Studies of contaminants other than mercury ............................................................................ 37 Non-mercury contaminants in wild foods ........................................................................... 37 Contaminants causing intersex fish in the Wabigoon River ................................................ 39 Field observations of water quality ..................................................................................... 40

The Whiskey Jack Forest ............................................................................................................. 40 Traplines ............................................................................................................................... 41 Field observations by trappers and hunters ........................................................................ 42


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6. STATE OF ECOLOGICAL HEALTH ................................................................................................ 43 Health of the Water .................................................................................................................... 43

Current levels of sediment mercury and Sediment Water Quality Guidelines .................. 43 Current levels of crayfish mercury and Tissue Residue Guidelines .................................... 45 Current levels of fish mercury and Tissue Residue Guidelines ........................................... 45

Health of the Land ...................................................................................................................... 45 Health of The Whiskey Jack Forest ...................................................................................... 46 Health of the animal populations ........................................................................................ 47 Contaminants in animals ...................................................................................................... 47

Looking ahead: Linking the Land and the Water ........................................................................ 48 Looking ahead: Linking land and water management ............................................................... 49

7. ECOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT (ERA) AND THE WABIGOON RIVER ........................................ 50 8. REMEDIATION OF THE WABIGOON RIVER REVISITED ............................................................... 52

Natural recovery ......................................................................................................................... 52 The role of Clay Lake in natural recovery ................................................................................... 52 The good news and bad news of Clay Lake ................................................................................ 53 Early remediation studies and proposals ................................................................................... 53 Contemporary context for renewed discussions ....................................................................... 54

REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................. 56 APPENDICES .................................................................................................................................. 62

Appendix A. Map of the Wabigoon-English River system .......................................................... 62 Appendix B. Partial list of publications relevant to pre-natal exposure to mercury ................. 63 Appendix C. Biography of P. Sellers ............................................................................................ 65


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1. RECOMMENDATIONS The recommendations that follow are based on Section 2 (GAPS) of this report. I have limited the number of recommendations to forty, but there are likely others that could be formulated.

FOR HUMAN HEALTH INITIATIVES 1) Conduct a comprehensive health survey. This is necessary for the design and implementation of

many other health initiatives;

2) Conduct a diet survey. A diet survey would provide good data for the design and implementation

of food programs targeted at increasing the consumption of traditional foods while minimizing exposure to mercury through fish. The patterns of consumption of fish from community-lakes vs. northern lakes, walleye vs. other fish, and wild foods (including fish) vs. market-foods are largely a

function of age and income levels (J. Dasilva, pers. comm., Nov. 2014) and food-security programs need to reflect this;

3) Evaluate and expand on current nutrition, and food security programs. Programs targeted at discouraging or encouraging the consumption of preferred fish (for example, walleye) from certain lakes need to reflect the reality that many people do not have the means (boats, trailers,

trucks) by which to fish lakes that are away from the community or off the Wabigoon-English River system. All programs need to be culturally inherent so that culture is not further eroded but enhanced;

4) Introduce programs that assist harvesters in accessing targeted sites and/or incorporating more

wild foods. These could include, but not limited to, means of transportation, equipment,

incentives and subsidies. 5) Collect data among infants on i) probability of exposure through maternal consumption of fish ii)

the occurrence of symptoms consistent with mercury poisoning and iii) their development into an beyond childhood;

6) Collect data on the occurrence of neurodegenerative diseases associated with aging among the people of ANA and compare these with a reference community or population;

7) Include biochemically sensitive biomarkers (in addition to or instead of hair and blood) in assessment of mercury exposure. Chan and Mergler (2010, p. 10) describe how the biochemical marker, monoamine oxidase activity (measured in blood platelet samples) can be used as a

sensitive indicator of mercury-induced alterations to the nervous system;


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Given the need to understand the effects of low dose mercury exposure at all ages, and that other studies have shown latency between exposure and the manifestation of clinical

symptoms, this biochemical testing could become a very effective tool and could be explored as an early warning system to be added to ongoing efforts in ANA of reducing mercury exposure;

8) Provide an update on trend data collected by Health Canada. Wheatley et al (1997) provided a 20-year trend in mercury exposure data (blood, hair, and umbilical cord blood data collected by HC). The most recent data collection year in that study was 1996.1 Assuming data collection has

continued, these trend lines need to be updated and published to give an updated version of long-term exposure patterns. If data collection has not continued then this should be resumed among consenting individuals; and

9) Amalgamate and analyze all the human health data collected on the people of ANA to date. This

could include, but not be limited to, records held by clinics, hospitals, and medical offices and

might provide useful information for long-term planning.

FOR ECOLOGICAL HEALTH INITIATIVES 10) Collect data (whole water mercury and water flow rates) necessary for calculation of transport of

mercury from upstream (within river and from logged catchment) to downstream sites; 11) Determine the potential and/or study the effects of logging on downstream water quality; 12) Measure and monitor standard water quality parameters (total suspended solids, particulate

organic carbon, turbidity and dissolved oxygen) at key sites in the Wabigoon-English River; 13) Collect data on the present-day contribution (if any) of effluent at Dryden to mercury in the

Wabigoon River; 14) Determine the temporal trend in sediment mercury in Seguise, Lount, and Separation Lakes; 15) Determine the current level of mercury in surface sediment of the Wabigoon River upstream of

Clay Lake. This will be necessary information for assessment of ecological risk and remediation discussions;

16) Determine the levels of mercury in the crayfish of Clay Lake and the south basin of Ball Lake; 17) Establish long-term sites for monitoring of mercury in crayfish and begin data collection; 18) Continue monitoring of mercury levels in fish at long-term monitoring sites; 1 A citation search on this paper (conducted in June 2014) revealed no publication to include the last two

decades of data.

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19) Begin long-term monitoring of mercury levels in fish from Garden and Grassy Narrows Lakes and other popular subsistence fishing lakes not yet including in long-term monitoring;

20) Include fish gonad collection during routine fish harvesting in Clay Lake and have gonads analysed

for evidence of intersex fish; 21) Evaluate the occurrence of swimmers itch and cyanotoxins in Garden Lake; 22) Collect data on the occurrence of symptoms of diseases in targeted forest animals; 23) Update the state of forest habitat and health in ANAs territory; 24) Establish goals for forest, forest habitat, and forest species renewal and long-term health; and 25) Ensure that any discussion of remediation of the Wabigoon River is comprehensive and robust.

FOR EDUCATION AND AWARENESS INITIATIVES

26) To enhance the awareness of outside researchers of i) the culture of the people of ANA and ii) the historical context in which outsiders and their messages are received, especially the historical relationship between settler governments and ANA;

27) To enhance the recognition, understanding, and acceptance by outsiders that walleye is, and will

likely remain, a preferentially consumed fish for cultural, historical, geographical, economical, and

gastronomical reasons; 28) Create opportunities for the training of outside scientists in cross-cultural research and in working

with Indigenous Knowledge holders; 29) To review and evaluate existing communication strategies regarding the risk and benefits of fish

and other wild food consumption and to revise where necessary. Communications need to a. be culturally appropriate and inherent; b. target reproductive women; c. include communication on the effects of mercury exposure on people of all ages; d. include discussion of the importance of eating traditional foods; and e. be in concert with initiatives aimed at securing alterative nutritious and safe foods for

those who fish consumption is dictated by circumstance.

30) To review and evaluate the effectiveness of fish consumption guidelines and revise where necessary to i) ensure that advisories are culturally appropriate and inherent and ii) focus on lake-specific and fish-specific advice for those who choose to heed the advice;

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31) Enhance education initiatives aimed at identifying the wild foods or food combinations safe and beneficial to eat; and

32) To produce plain language summaries of reports (for which none exist) if warranted by the

expressed interest of the people of ANA, particularly the Elders;

33) To expand the ANA-literature database associated with this report such that literature not yet

captured be included.

FOR DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF RESEARCH INITIATIVES 34) To ensure that future studies in ANA are coordinated, duplication is minimized, and outcomes

and benefits to the community are maximized; 35) To ensure the research is community-driven and community-controlled; 36) To engage existing research skills among the people of ANA;

37) To enhance research skills and knowledge among the people of ANA, particularly in the area of environmental monitoring and other areas for which this has underway;

38) To allow for face-to-face knowledge sharing among outside researchers, scientists, government personnel and the people of ANA;

39) To allow for collaboration between Indigenous Knowledge and western science and the

acknowledgement of the contributions of Indigenous Knowledge to research outcomes; and

40) To have a community-based research station to coordinate all of the above recommendations.

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2. GAPS

This section lists identified gaps (i.e. whats missing) in work and research conducted in ANA. I use the word gap very broadly to include missing pieces, weaknesses or opportunities that might help to guide further research or work in the community. Some of these are versions of gaps identified by

the authors of the literature reviewed. Because the published literature is not up to date in all topics, this means that some of the gaps listed below may have already been addressed or filled.

The gaps are eventually sorted into three categories. The first is Research Methods, which identifies weakness in the ways research has been conducted in ANA. The second is Communication, Education and Awareness, with a focus on communication among people of ANA, among outsiders, and between the people of ANA and outsiders. The third section is Information and Knowledge, which focuses on areas for which more study is warranted. This third section is further divided into two: Human Health and Ecological Health. Table 1 is a summary table of this section. Table 1. Gaps at a glance

Gaps in Research Methods

a) A coherent and coordinated research framework b) Community-driven and community-controlled research c) Culturally inherent and culturally appropriate methods d) The acknowledgement of the value and local authority of Indigenous Knowledge e) Opportunities for government personnel and scientists to engage in face-to-face

knowledge sharing with Indigenous Knowledge holders

f) Adequate sample size in human health studies

Gaps in Communication, Education and Awareness

g) Opportunities for the training of outside scientists in cross-cultural research h) Awareness of benefits and risks of eating local fish i) Effective (culturally inherent and appropriate) fish consumption guidelines j) A focus on which local fish can be eaten k) Availability of Tolerable Intake Guidelines (as opposed to ppm guidelines). l) Effective risk awareness campaign targeting reproductive women m) Retroactive plain language summaries

Gaps in Information and Knowledge: Human Health

n) Data for assessment of the current state of human health o) The occurrence of fetal and infant mercury poisoning in ANA


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p) The effect of mercury exposure on development of children in ANA q) The effects of low-dose, long-term exposure to mercury among adults in ANA r) The link between mercury exposure and the development of neurodegenerative diseases

associated with aging s) Adequate and appropriate diet information

Gaps in Information and Knowledge: Ecological Health

t) Current levels of mercury in the surface sediment of the Wabigoon River; u) An ecological risk assessment for sediments of the Wabigoon River; v) The relative contribution of the Wabigoon River as a source of sediment mercury to

downstream basins and/or downstream bioaccumulation w) The understanding of how logging affects water quality in ANAs territory x) The current contribution of Dryden effluent to mercury in the Wabigoon River y) Data for mercury in whole water samples in ANAs territory z) The temporal trend in sediment mercury in Seguise Lake aa) The temporal trend in sediment mercury in Lount and Separation Lakes bb) Rates of sediment burial of mercury in selected lake basins cc) Mercury levels in the crayfish of Clay Lake and the south basin of Ball Lake dd) Mercury levels in the crayfish at targeted sites throughout ANAs territory. ee) The status of the sturgeon, moose, and caribou populations in ANAs territory. ff) The presence or absence of intersex fish in Clay Lake gg) The suitability of Garden Lake for swimming hh) Understanding of reasons for the symptoms of diseases in animals ii) Current state of forest habitat and health jj) Use and occupancy data of ANAs traplines kk) The relationship between patterns in sediment mercury and food web mercury ll) Water quality data in ANAs territory mm) Data for mercury levels in fish of lakes not included in routine, long-term monitoring

GAPS RESEARCH METHODS a) A coherent and coordinated research framework. There have been different

researchers/research teams (government, university, consulting firms, individuals) over the decades working in ANA, each of which had a different topic, agenda, method, style, funding source, professional opinion and communication plan. This piece-meal approach to studies in

ANA has lead to some confusion among some people (both within and outside ANA) trying to

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make sense of it all. Evidence for this is the need for this report.2 Such a research framework needs to be rooted in the needs, culture, and history of the people of ANA, and to be flexible

enough to respond to changing needs, and respond to the complexity of the linkages between human and environmental health. It most definitely would require stable funding, as piecemeal funding lends itself to piecemeal work.

b) Community-driven and community-control led research. Over the years there has been

a shift from the deployment of parachute researchers to community-based research, then to

community-driven research. This latter approach is the best and needs to continue. It requires the directive, guidance, and approval from the community in all aspects right from the start. Efforts made in this direction have already resulted in positive outcomes, such as i) capacity-

building in the community ii) improved relations between outside and community researchers and iii) better research.

c) Cultural ly inherent and cultural ly appropriate methods. Forty-two years ago in an analysis of the commercial fisheries in northwestern Ontario Edward Rogers wrote

It is obvious than an economically viable system, which no doubt will need subsidy in part, must be established but within the framework of Ojibwa attitudes, thoughts and values. These must be accounted for and allowed expression if the economic system is to be meaningful to

the Ojibwa [emphasis added]3

In the subject of Indigenous Knowledge research, Simpson and DaSilva (2009) also emphasize the necessity for the inclusion of culturally inherent and culturally appropriate methods. In part this means the need for research efforts to stem from and be conducted within Indigenous and

Anishinabe frameworks. d) The acknowledgement of the value and local authority of Indigenous Knowledge.

Simpson and DaSilva (2009) and Simpson et al (2009) highlight the need for western science (and its scientists) to treat Indigenous Knowledge (and its Knowledge Holders) as equals when designing, conducting, or reporting research. This includes an emphasis on the value of the

knowledge Elders have, the role they must play in all decision-making processes, and respecting protocol and agreements for distribution of knowledge.

e) Opportunit ies for government personnel and sc ientists to engage in face-to-face knowledge sharing with Indigenous Knowledge holders. This gap was identified during

2 Interestingly, 40 years ago Dr. Bernstein undertook a similar task (Bernstein et al, 1973) and concluded: the

federal governments approach to the special problems of White Dog and Grassy Narrows is

fragmented and lacks cohesion and called for a coordinated effort.

3 Rogers (1972).


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an Elders gathering held in ANA in 2009 (Simpson and DaSilva, 2009). Face-to-face knowledge sharing needs to be based in mutual respect and sensitivity. This dialogue is needed to dispense

and clarify misperceptions, establish good working relationships, enhance understanding of both knowledge systems, and enhance opportunities for western science to work for ANA.

f) Adequate sample s ize in human health studies. There are many, many things (that is. variables) that affect human health. That means any human health study needs to include large samples sizes (that is, lots of people) so that the data can be analysed statistically. Some of the

earlier studies have been weak in this regard.

GAPS IN COMMUNICATION, EDUCATION AND AWARENESS g) Opportunit ies for the training of outside sc ientists in cross-cultural research.

Outside scientists working in communities usually do not have the appropriate experience or training to work effectively in Indigenous communities. Face-to-face knowledge sharing opportunities would facilitate this. In environmental research in Canada, the collaboration

between Indigenous Knowledge Holders and Scientists is an emerging field and ANA has an opportunity to lead this.

h) Awareness of benefits and r isks of eating local f ish. Evidently some people are still not aware that locally caught fish may not be safe to eat, or that some fish are safe to eat. Any measure to increase this awareness must be done in a manner that does not create fear, allows

consumers to make informed choices about the size, amount and type of fish, and augments other efforts and programs targeted at strengthening the consumption of traditional foods and engaging in traditional foodways.

i) Effect ive (cultural ly inherent and appropriate) f ish consumption guidel ines. As

early as Bernstein et al (1973) concluded that ways and means to improve communications with

the Indian people are necessary to impart knowledge of the mercury situation, to discourage eating fish, and to encourage interest in diet and nutrition. In a more recent report on the

results of an Elders gathering, Simpson and DaSilva (2009) found that one of the reasons fish consumption guidelines are not effective is because they are not presented in ways that work for the people. Text-based guidelines written in English and dispersed by an outside government do

not work, especially for Elders and Elders who do not read English. j) A focus on which local f ish can be eaten. Contemporary reports of mercury levels in fish

separate out different fish types in different lakes (Grand Council Treaty #3), and different fish lengths (Chan et al, 2005, Kinghorn et al, 2007, Neff et al, 2012). If warranted, this information can be used to create community-based maps (or other media, possibly a phone app that could

be used in the field) that encourage fish-specific, lake-specific, and size-specific fish consumption.

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k) Avai labi l i ty of Tolerable Intake Guidel ines (as opposed to ppm guidel ines). In addition to guidelines based on the level of mercury in fish, guidelines on how many fish and of

what size people could safely eat in the course of a week or month would also be useful. This is because exposure is a function of both how much fish is consumed and how much mercury is in the consumed fish. Intake guidelines need to be specific to lakes and fish types, and would be

especially useful to people who prepare fish meals. Chan et al (2005) provide the first attempt at this for ANA.

l) Effect ive r isk awareness campaign targeted reproductive women. Given that i. the adverse effects of pre-natal mercury exposure on infant and child development are

well understood from other studies (Chan and Mergler (2010) cite about 42

publications; Appendix A); ii. the contemporary (verbal) reports of a disproportionate number of miscarriages and

babies born with abnormal neurological (such as muscle twitching) or other birth

defects; and iii. the contemporary (verbal) reports of some women in ANA eating fish while pregnant

and/or nursing,

there seems to be substantial room for improvement on the education and awareness targeting reproductive, pregnant and nursing women (and their food providers) on the importance of a

healthy diet and lifestyle, with special consideration for an avoidance of mercury exposure through fish. Such awareness initiatives have to be coupled with food-security programs that

offer nutritional alternatives while not eroding the cultural importance and significance of eating fish.

m) Retroact ive Pla in Language Summaries. A need for retroactive plain language summaries and/or verbal presentations of earlier reports exists. This is important for the sake of communication and may be important to those Elders4 playing a key role in guiding future

research initiatives.

GAPS IN INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE

Human Health

n) Data for the assessment of the current state of human health. The most comprehensive health assessment was conducted in the late 1980s (Postl, 1989), effectively one generation ago and much has changed in ANA since then. Historically, mercury exposure and its

4 At the June 2014 meeting of the ANA-Mercury Working Group one Elder said that her baby was tested in a

study 30 years ago but no one told them what the results were and that she still wonders about that. I have heard this comment before from other Elders in other community meetings.


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effects have been a major concern but other diseases or sicknesses, which may or may not be linked to mercury exposure, have since been identified as prevalent (Judy Dasilva, pers. comm.).

Health surveys need to keep pace with changes in community health.

A comprehensive health survey could be coupled with efforts at better understanding the effect

of mercury exposure. Indeed, the need of comprehensive health surveys in areas affected by mercury exposure was emphasized by Chan and Mergler (2010, p. 27) who write many of the health complaints from the affected population have not been properly diagnosed and

documented. It is important to have data from comprehensive health surveys in affected areas to have a better understanding of health effects. [emphasis added].

o) The occurrence of fetal and infant mercury poisoning in ANA. No studies have been conducted in ANA on the effects of pre-natal exposure to mercury and/or on the diagnosis of fetal or infant Minamata disease (Harada et al, 2011) despite the widespread recognition that i)

fetuses and infants are considered the most at risk (therefore lower doses required to pose risk) to exposure; ii) infants can show neurological disorders even when mothers have mild or no neurological symptoms (Chan and Mergler, 2010; Harada et al, 2011) iii) the damaging effects of

mercury exposure on brain and child development is permanent; and iv) the possibility of mercury exposure contributing to the early onset or rapid development of age-related diseases such as Parkinsons and Alzheimers (Dr. Ben Bahr, UNC Pembroke, pers. comm. June 2014);

p) The effect of mercury exposure and chi ldhood development in ANA. The

requirement for special surveillance of high risk moms and their infants was established by Bernstein et al (1973) and the assessment of children in ANA suspected of prenatal exposure was proposed in a report written by Prichard and McIntyre (1980). To date, no ongoing surveillance

program among children exposed to mercury prenatally has been referenced in the reviewed publications.

In the only study conducted (Medical Services Branch, 1996, mercury and Child Development), development issues among the children of ANA were identified but the authors were not able to link these to mercury exposure using their methods.5 Tracking child development from birth is

the only way to truly study the effects of prenatal and infant exposure to mercury on childhood development and this was not the method used.

Chan and Mergler (2010) cite about 42 publications and four studies (Faroe Islands, New Zealand, Seychelles Islands and the US) that show prenatal exposure of mercury through fish consumption negatively alters child development. In these studies hundreds of children were followed from

5 The Canadian study was retrospectively designed, which is to say it collected developmental and hair data in

one sampling year (1995 & 1996), and used umbilical cord data collected in 1978-1990 to construct correlations. The researchers did not track individuals from birth, as was done in the foreign studies.

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birth to three, 9, and 14 years of age. ANAs population is likely not large enough for cohort studies but individual children could be tracked in a long-term, comprehensive study and

compared to a reference community.

The start of a reference list for the effects of pre-natal exposure to mercury can be found in

Appendix A. q) The effects of low-dose, long-term exposure to mercury among adults in ANA. We

know little about the effects of low-dose exposure over the long-term. Harada et al (2005b) identified this as a gap. Younger members of the neurological study conducted in ANA by Takaoka et al (2014) could be identified and tracked as a means of helping to understand the effects of

low-dose, long-term exposure to mercury through food. Any study investigating effects of mercury exposure would have to be comprehensive and include all the known outcomes of mercury exposure (including cardiovascular disease) and account for co-morbidity from other

diseases (Chan and Mergler, 2010).

r) The l ink between mercury exposure and the development of neurodegenerative diseases associated with aging. Studies on the neurological effects of mercury exposure in ANA have largely been restricted to symptoms associated with mercury poisoning. As early as the late 1970s, psychosis and dementia were identified as a late and severe effect of organic

mercury intoxication (Pritchard and McIntyre, 1980). In other studies, mercury exposure has also been linked to Alzheimers disease (Fujimura et al, 2009; Dr. Ben Bahr UNC Pembroke, pers.

comm.) and in a paper published in 2006, Monnet-Tschudi et al write a considerable body of evidence suggests that the heavy metals lead and mercury contribute to the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases and emphasizes the importance of taking preventive measures in

this regard.

Two gaps are a) an understanding of relationship between mercury exposure and

neurodegenerative diseases and b) the inclusion of neurodegenerative disease symptoms in disease surveys and assessments6 or other appropriate venues.

s) Adequate and appropriate d iet information. There has been no comprehensive diet survey conducted for ANA. What is known is that some people eat, to varying degrees, both traditional and market foods. A diet survey will help in the design and implementation of

initiatives that encourage food security.

6 Cosway (2001) noted that dementia and psychosis are not among any of the diagnostic criteria used by any of

the five national and international agencies.

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Ecological Health

t) Current levels of mercury in the surface sediment of Wabigoon River. This has not been determined since 1980.

u) An ecological r isk assessment for sediments of the Wabigoon River . The limited

contemporary data suggest that Wabigoon River sediments between Clay Lake and Dryde exceed guideline levels.

v) The relat ive contr ibution of the Wabigoon River as a source of sediment mercury to downstream basins and/or downstream bioaccumulat ion. The mercury in surface sediment is increasing (in the two basins for which it was measured) downstream of Clay Lake.

The spatial pattern suggests that the Wabigoon River continues to be a source of mercury-rich sediment to downstream sites.

w) The understanding of how logging affects water qual ity in ANAs terr itory. Logging is widespread in ANAs territory. The wider literature indicates that logging can degrade water quality and enhance mercury in the water and organisms but the effect of logging on lakes in

ANAs territory has not been studied. x) The current contr ibution of Dryden eff luent to mercury in the Wabigoon River.

The historical discussions tell us that by 1975, the discharge of mercury was reduced to 1% of its uncontrolled value. While the 1% was encouraging, at the time it represented about 5 times natural loading rates (Jackson et al, unpublished manuscript).

y) Data for mercury in whole water samples in ANAs terr itory. There are no current data

for mercury and mercury on whole water samples in ANAs territory. The last data were taken in

the late 1970s. While mercury in fish is the main concern from a human health and monitoring perspective, whole water samples are needed in other applications.

z) The temporal trend in sediment mercury in Seguise Lake. Seguise Lake is between Clay

Lake, where surface sediment mercury is in a decline, and Ball Lake, where surface sediment

mercury is on the increase. It would be good to know what is going on in Seguise Lake. If it, too, is in a decline, then this suggests that levels in the sediment in Ball Lake will eventually decline.

aa) The temporal trend in sediment mercury in Lount and Separation Lakes. These two lakes are between Ball and Tetu Lakes, both of which show an increase in sediment mercury in the past 30 years. Measurements in these basins would further reveal and confirm downstream-

upstream patterns in sediment mercury.

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bb) Rates of sediment buria l of mercury in selected lake basins. These data can be calculated from dated sediment cores for which mercury is also measured. Rates of burial can be

used to estimate how much any one basin is acting as a site of burial of mercury. cc) Mercury levels in the crayf ish of Clay Lake and the south basin of Bal l Lake. Data

for Clay Lake have not been collected since 1980 and data for Ball Lake since 2007. Data collected from Clay Lake should show a decline in crayfish mercury while that for Ball Lake could show a decline, stabilization, or increase.

dd) Mercury levels in the crayf ish at targeted s ites throughout ANAs terr itory.

Crayfish assimilate mercury very efficiently and excrete it very slowly (Headon et al, 1996), which

not only means that they biomagnify mercury from their food, but also that they can be used as an effective bioindicator of food web mercury. Indeed, several investigators have identified crayfish as one of the best bioindicators for reasons related to site-specificity, ease of capture,

ease of inclusion in community-based programming, and trophic position (Allard et al, 1989; Parks et al, 1991; Schilderman et al, 1999).

ee) The status of the sturgeon, moose, and car ibou populat ions in ANAs terr itory. There exist no data on the population of many important animal species.

ff) The presence or absence of intersex f ish in Clay Lake. The presence of intersex fish in the Wabigoon River at Dryden in 2002, suggests the possibility, or the development of the

possibility, for sites further downstream. Although Pollock et al (2010) did not detect intersex fish further (35 46 km) downstream of Dryden in 2002, certainly this phenomenon has the potential to develop over time.

gg) The suitabi l i ty of Garden Lake for swimming. Garden Lake is highly eutrophied, subject

to blooms of cyanobacteria (a.k.a. blue-green algae), and is used recreationally. Two human

health concerns associated with lakes in this condition are i) the development of swimmers itch (caused by microscopic flatworms burrowing in skin) and ii) exposure to cyanotoxins (toxins released by cyanobacteria). There is evidence of the occurrence of swimmers itch among the

children of ANA and of the existence cyanotoxins in Garden Lake. hh) Understanding of reasons for the symptoms of diseases in animals. Hunters,

trappers, and elders continue to report seeing signs of diseases in animals. With the main exception of mercury in wild foods and animals associated with the aquatic food web, levels of metals and organic contaminants are low, suggesting that they are not causing the observed

diseases. ii) Current state of forest habitat and health. The latest data are about 10 years old.


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jj) Use and occupancy data of ANAs trapl ines. Only one half the trapline holders participated in the study conducted by Armitage et al (2010).

kk) The relat ionship between patterns in sediment mercury and food web mercury.

The degree to which the mercury in the surface sediment contributes to mercury production and

bioavailability to the food web of the same basin is not known. Understanding this may be important in predicting levels of food web mercury in those basins showing a change in sediment mercury.

ll) Water qual ity data in ANAs terr itory. There are no published, standard surface water

quality data for ANAs territory. My visual observations tell me that this is warranted for key

parameters, namely total suspended solids, particulate organic carbon, sunlight, turbidity, and oxygen levels.

mm) Data for mercury levels in f ish of lakes not included in routine, long-term monitoring. Some of the lakes fished by people of ANA, such as the two that border the community, are not yet included in routine monitoring programs.


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3. HUMAN HEALTH RESEARCH TO DATE

Most of the publications pertaining to health of the people of ANA are in the form of reports (12) or journal articles (9). Table 2 indicates the breakdown by decade of publication and publication type.

Table 2. Number of publications (by decade and type) compiled by the ANA-Ontario Mercury Working Group that pertain to human health.7

Publication period Reports Journal Articles Other

Up to 1980 4 2 2

1981 - 1990 1 0 0 1991 - 2000 1 1 0

2001 - 2010 6 3 1 2011 - present 0 3 0

Most of the publications were before 1980 and after 2000; there were few publications in the 1980s

and 1990s.

EVIDENCE OF MERCURY EXPOSURE: BLOOD AND HAIR LEVELS OF MERCURY At least three different research teams have monitored mercury in hair and blood8 samples over the

years. They are Health Canada (originally led by Dr. Wheatley), a team of Japanese researchers (led by the late Dr. Harada) and a team of researchers from McGill University (led by Dr. Chan). Table 3 is a summary of the data collection efforts.

Table 3. Breakdown of mercury exposure data collected in ANA.

Data collection year Type of mercury exposure data Publication

1970, 1972-1973 blood Bernstein, 1973

1975 hair, blood Harada et al, 1976 1970, 1972-1973, 1975 blood Newberry, 1977

1975 hair Newberry, 1977 1976 - 1994 (umbilical) cord blood Medical Services Branch, 1996

1976 - 1996 Hair converted to blood values, cord blood Wheatley et al, 1997 1974 - 1996 Yearly hair in the same fishing guide Wheatley et al, 1997

1995 or 1996 Hair of children Medical Services Branch, 1996 2002, 2004 hair Harada et al, 2005b

2003 hair Chan et al, 2005

7 This is a minimum as more have surfaced since the original compilation. 8 Scientists have determined that most (85 100%) of the mercury in biological tissue is methyl mercury

(Mercury; (Renzoni et al., 1997; Dolbec et al., 2001)).


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Blood

Bernstein et al (1974) report that the average concentration of mercury in blood (among 61 individuals) was 77.4 parts per billion (ppb) in 1970. In their presentation of yearly data, Wheatley et al (1997) show that mercury in blood and (umbilical) cord blood have declined in both ANA and

Wabaseemoong Independent Nations (WIN; also known as White Dog) between 1975 and 1996. 9 In ANA, average blood had declined by 70% in that period, with reported levels at 7.5 ppb in 1995. In 1995-1996, 20% of the 103 people surveyed had blood levels between 20 and 100 ppb whilst 80%

had blood levels of mercury below 20 ppb. Cord blood also declined in the same period. More recent data have either not been published or are not yet available.

Hair Harada et al (1976) lumped people from ANA and WIN into two categories: those who ate fish since

1970 and those who did not. The ones who did not eat fish showed hair mercury below 10 ppm from 1972-1975 and the ones who did eat fish showed much higher concentrations. Decades later, Harada et al (2005a) report an average of 2.1 ppm in hair (from 47 people) collected in 2002 and Chan et al

(2005) report an average of 1.3 in hair collected from 58 people. Caution is warranted when extrapolating these numbers to the whole population of ANA. The

number of people who submitted hair samples in these most recent studies represent only about 7% of the on-reserve population, and about 4% of the total (on- and off-reserve) population. Moreover,

this 7% sample was not representative in terms of age-structure, diet, or occupation.

EXPOSURE AND DEVELOPMENT OF SYMPTOMS Studies generally show that people who eat more fish containing mercury (i.e. relatively high intake of mercury per unit time) tend to have a) higher mercury levels in their hair and blood; and b) a

greater prevalence for symptoms associated with mercury poisoning than those people who do not eat fish or eat less fish (Harada et al, 1976; Cosway, 2001).

The relationship between relatively low intake of mercury (as evidenced by relatively low mercury in hair and blood) and neurological disorders is less clear, particularly among adults. People of all ages

with lower exposure may exhibit mild or very subtle symptoms that do not meet minimum assessment criteria (for diagnosis of mercury poisoning) but nonetheless show symptoms that compromise their quality of life. There are also questions about latency (lapse time between

exposure and manifestation of symptoms) for all ages. Among health professionals, it is generally agreed that the most critical years where both high and low exposure is concerned are the early developmental (fetus to child) years. 9 often both ANA and WIN were part of the same studies


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SYMPTOMS OF MERCURY POISONING IN ADULTS10 We know from data being collected by the Mercury Disability Board (MBD) that adults have been

diagnosed with having symptoms consistent with mercury poisoning following the 1985 criteria (Cosway, 2001). The only academic team doing similar work is the Japanese research team (led by Dr. Harada), which has a long history and a lot of experience testing for mercury poisoning in both

Canada (i.e. in ANA and WIN) and Japan. Table 4 provides a breakdown of available studies.

Table 4. Breakdown of neurological assessment data collected in ANA.

Data collection year Publication

Notes

1975 Newberry, 1977 Compares neurological data collect in ANA by

three different teams 1975 Harada et al, 1976

1976, 1977, 1979 Pritchard and McIntyre, 1980

Collects data for both ANA and WIN and recommends protocol established as general

protocol for assessment 1988 - 2001 Cosway, 2001 MBD data for adults

1990 - 2001 Cosway, 2001 MBD data for children 2002 Harada et al, 2005a

2004 Harada et al, 2005b Compares 1975 with 2004 data for 27 WIN and ANA individuals

2010 Harada et al, 2011 2010 Takaoka et al, 2014 The first to show statistically significant

comparisons with Minamata disease patients in Japan

Harada et al (2005b) compares data taken in 1975 with that taken in 2004 for the same 27 individuals and shows an increase in occurrence of mercury poisoning symptoms among those 27 during that

time period. This included people who showed mild or no symptoms in 1975 (and therefore were not diagnosed) but did in 2004, when they were diagnosed as having mercury poisoning.

Consistent among the Japanese publications is a comparison of the diagnoses and methods for diagnoses between the Japanese researchers vs. the medical team associated with the MDB. For example, Harada et al (2005b) diagnosed 24 people with mercury poisoning, 21 of whom receive

compensation from the MDB. Discrepancies between Haradas evaluation and that of the MDB are attributed to a difference in weight put on the same criterion (Harada et al 2005a, 2011) and, with few exceptions, not the use of different criteria.

10 in this report, mercury poisoning, which is used by the people of ANA, is synonymous with Minamata

Disease, which is what the term the Japanese researchers use.


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The strongest of the Japanese publications is that most recently published. Takaoka et al (2014) tested two groups of people in ANA (Younger and Older) and compared their neurological symptoms,

sensory measurements, and subjective complaints to a control group in Japan. People not suffering from any neurological disease or related illness were in the control group.

The main findings of Takaoka et al (2014), which are supported by statistical significance, were that

a) complaints and neurological abnormalities were more prevalent, and sensory measurements were worse, in the two ANA groups (Younger and Older) than in the Japanese Control group;

b) complaints, neurological abnormalities, and sensory measurements were similar between the ANA - Older and the Japanese Exposed group (i.e. those exposed to mercury through fish);

and c) complaints and neurological abnormalities were more prevalent, and sensory measurements

were worse in the Older of the ANA group than in the Younger.

SYMPTOMS OF MERCURY POISONING IN CHILDREN AND INFANTS Cosway (2001) presents data obtained from the MDB for assessment of children for 12 years (1990 2001)11. From these data we know that children in ANA and WIN were diagnosed by the MDB with

having symptoms consistent with mercury poisoning. No published data are available for symptoms of mercury exposure found in infants or in fetuses of

ANA. We know from other studies that mercury inhibits fetal and infant development (see review by Chan and Mergler, 2010). The World Health Organization (1990, cited in Cosway, 2001) reports that scientific data show that mercury inhibits fetal brain growth, which results in reduced cognitive and

motor abilities and behavioural changes. The degree to which infants are affected is related to how much the mothers are exposed to: low dose in the mothers may lead to subtle changes but high dose in the mothers may lead to infant cerebral palsy.

CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT The only development study on the children of ANA was conducted in the mid 1990s by the Research and Development Team of the Medical Services Branch (MSB) of Health Canada (Medical Services

Branch, 1996). The investigators used data collected in one sampling year to establish a mathematical relationship between childhood development and mercury exposure. The investigators confirmed the existence of childhood development problems (based on academic performance, behavior,

neuropsychological, and sensory-motor data) but could not confirm that mercury exposure was linked to these problems. Other researchers in other parts of the world studying childhood

development and mercury did things differently. In these studies (reviewed in Chan and Mergler

11 using the original assessment form, which was designed in 1985

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(2010)) individual children were tracked and monitored from birth until they were teenagers. The studies show that exposure to mercury in the womb ultimately results in compromised childhood

development. This type of study in ANA is identified as a Gap in Section 5 and Appendix A includes studies published after those included in the Chan and Mergler (2010) report.

INCIDENCE OF MORTALITY AND DISEASE

Data on the occurrence of disease and death among the people of ANA can be found in two sources. In her book A Poison Stronger Than Love, Skilnyk (1985) examines incidence of death between the years 1959 and 1978. It clusters the data into 5-year groups, and shows that before 1968, violent

(unnatural) deaths comprise about 12% of all deaths whereas after 1968 they comprised about 60% of all death. The occurrence of disease and death among the people of ANA was assessed in 1988 by by a team of investigators led by Dr. B Postl. The report (Postl, 1989) includes data from 1982 to 1987

and provides statistics for several diseases and causes of death. These 27 year-old data do not reflect the current situation in ANA but have value in a) providing guidance for the design of a new community health assessment and b) assessing change in the same health and health service

categories since the mid-1980s.

HEALTH SERVICES Postl et al (1989) provides a summary of the quality and quantity of health services (both visiting and

community-based) available to the people of ANA in the 1980s. It highlights the huge discrepancy between the heath service needs of the community and the quality and quantity of the services provided. A new health survey and assessment should also address this discrepancy.

DIET By the time the fishery was closed in 1970, the people of ANA were already disrupted by flooding, relocation, and a road connecting the community to Kenora (Shkilnyk, 1985). Thus the fishery closure

further exacerbated the erosion of the traditional foodways that was caused by these earlier disruptions. A local Elder expressed it this way 41 years ago:

All of what we considered good was taken away and now we have to wait for a welfare cheque at the end of the month, which does not cover our needs because of rising food costs. Yes, they promised to replace what we had given up but it is

slow in coming. Our lives were disrupted. 12

12 Community member quoted in Greene, F (1973), A brief history of the people of Grassy Narrows and White

Dog Ontario. 5 p. Appendix A of Bernstein et al (1973).

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Specifically for diet, this meant a serious shift from one based in fish protein to one based in market foods available at the local store. This shift away from fish and toward market foods is widely

recognized as detrimental for several reasons. Three are listed here. First, there is the nutritional aspect: the inferiority of the nutritional value of market foods compared

to traditional foods has been known for a long time. Bernstein et al (1973) expressed it this way:

Store-bought foods of dubious quality and nutritional value have largely replaced

traditional foods, with a resulting reduction in protein and increase in carbohydrates. From the aspect of child and maternal health, this is perhaps the most serious problem.

Two generations later, this sentiment continues to be expressed, as evidenced by this comment made during an Elders gathering five years ago:

White Dog [Wabaseemoog] is right about eating traditional foods. We never heard of diabetes or high blood pressure when we ate good. We were given medicines to

help us. Traditional food in the past served us well. Todays foods are not good. We have to think that way.13

Second, there is a cultural aspect. A departure from the harvesting and consumption of traditional foods, such as those associated with fishing and trapping, has also meant a departure from traditional

foodways, a complex system embedded in the language, cultures and traditions of which food items are part of this larger system (Simpson and DaSilva, 2009). Opportunities for teaching and expression of culture and identity, which include those of language, sustenance, ceremonies, reciprocity and

governance, are diminished when the opportunities to harvest wild foods are diminished. Third, there is an occupational consideration. Not going out to harvest food has led to a decrease in

physical work (and associated fitness) and an increase in idleness and boredom. This was recognized as a problem 41 years ago, as offered by a community member:

Before, there was always something interesting to do everyday. There was a net to tend and the fish to clean, and that took up a lot of our time. Now there is nothing to do.14

13 Elder quote from Elders Gathering, March 23-24, 2009, held at Asubpeechoseewagong Netum Anishinabek,

cited in Simpson and DaSilva (2009). 14 Community member quoted in La Rusic, I.E. (1973), A report on mercury in the environment in the

communities of White Dog and Grassy Narrows: The dietary aspects and problems of communicating with local populations. 18 p. Appendix B of Bernstein et al (1973).

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Today, both market and traditional foods (including local fish) continue to be consumed among the people of ANA. The current patterns of consumption, however, can be demarcated by income (J.

DaSilva, pers. comm. November 2014). People with lower income tend to buy (nutritionally low) food at the low-choice community store and supplement their diet (when they run out of money) with wild foods. These wild foods would generally be harvested very close to the community because the same

people have limited or no transportation. People who have a higher income also tend to have vehicles, which affords them the opportunity to buy all their food and the ability to buy it in Kenora. For these people, wild foods are more of a choice rather than a necessity (J. DaSilva, pers. comm.).

At present, several initiatives to incorporate nutritional market and wild foods into household, community, and school food programs are underway in ANA. Where wild foods are concerned, a

challenge is to know which wild foods to include given that mercury levels are still high in preferred fish of easily accessible lakes and that some Elders report of non-fish wild foods being unhealthy (Simpson and DaSilva, 2009). Where market foods are concerned, a challenge is to get nutritional

market foods into the community store at prices affordably by those who must shop there. Diet Surveys

A first attempt at a diet survey in ANA was made in 1973 (La Rusic, 1973). No survey data were acquired but a categorization of people based on the pattern of food intake was. It was acquired from one community member who offered his analysis that the people could be divided into these three

categories:

a) those who worked for wages and purchased all their food from the store; b) those who guided, ate fish while guiding, and augmented this with store and bush food

(particularly in the winter); and c) the trappers who would eat some store food in summer along with considerable fish and in

the winter live almost exclusively on bush food.

While these categories are differentiated based on occupation, today differences in diet among people is primarily based on income, which separates people into two main groups: lower income people who generally eat community-based market and wild foods and higher income people who

eat urban market foods (J. DaSilva, pers. comm, Nov. 2014). A diet survey (identified as both a Gap and a Recommendation in this report) is needed so that efforts can be made to ensure food security for all people of ANA.

Chan et al (2005) collected diet information from 87 people in ANA, and calculated nutritional daily intake (g of calories from protein, fat, carbohydrates and alcohol) and fish intake (grams of fish per

day). The fish intake data are broken down into four different types of local fish, and into market and local fish. Their data show that the people of ANA eat about twice as much local fish as they do market fish, and that men eat more fish of both types than do the women.

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FISH CONSUMPTION ADVISORIES Beginning in about 1970 the people of ANA were told not to eat the fish because it was contaminated

with mercury. This was the first advisory. Since that time there have been three other formats of fish consumption advisories appearing in the literature.

One advisory is based on pre-determined safe levels of mercury in fish. For example, frequent fish consumers are advised against eating fish with mercury levels greater than 0.2 ppm of mercury. The usefulness of this advice requires that consumers also be provided with information of which fish, of

which length, and in which lakes are above or below the 0.2 ppm level. These data are available and appear in a few publications that may or may not be accessible to the readership of ANA.

In their Sport fishermans guide to methyl mercury contamination levels in fish, the Grand Council of Treaty #3 depict images of popular fishing lakes, and superimposed on each lake is a bar chart showing the mercury levels in each fish type. This is a very helpful addition to text-based advisories.

The effectiveness of this publication is not known and should be explored. A second advisory is based on fish length. Most people who eat fish can determine type and size, and

so an advisory considering these two parameters for four lakes (in ANAs territory) was reported by Chan et al (2005). For example, bass longer than 27 36 cm in all lakes should be avoided. The exception to this is Clay Lake, in which all fish but the small whitefish should be avoided.15

A third form of advice appears in the maximum number of fish meals per week or month that people could eat (depending on type) and stay within a safe level. For example Chan et al (2005) used a

guideline level for mercury intake through food and fish mercury concentrations to calculate how much local fish people of ANA could eat. Their calculations were in response to a question posed by the Elders, which was How much fish can we eat without the fear of mercury poisoning?

Accordingly, they calculated that people of ANA could eat two pieces of walleye every three weeks or 5 pieces of whitefish every week to stay within an established intake guideline.

Neff et al (2012) also report numbers of fish meals per month but of different fish, namely of yellow perch, sauger, white sucker, and mooneye, which have lower mercury levels than walleye or northern

pike. The values are broken down into four lakes in ANAs territory, and are presented with reference to fish length while staying within guidelines for levels of mercury in fish flesh.

I would not be surprised if taken together, these formats (which have appeared at different times and presented by different groups) have led to confusion among the people of ANA, as was suggested

15 Chan et al (2005) caution eating the top predator fish from most lakes but encourage the consumption of

whitefish, which has relatively low mercury. Their aim was to encourage the consumption of whitefish as a means of maximizing the nutritional benefit of a traditional food and of fish while minimizing exposure to mercury through local fish.

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almost a decade ago by Chan et al (2005).

EFFECTIVENESS OF FISH CONSUMPTION ADVISORIES

Not all people are aware of the advisories. Recently some Elders exclaimed that they have never seen the guidelines (Simpson and DaSilva, 2009). Similarly, Chan et al (2005) conducted a food safety beliefs survey and 26% of the people surveyed in ANA indicated they did not know whether or not it

is safe to eat fish from the area. This suggests that they havent seen nor heard of the advisories. Other people did not believe that the fish were contaminated. Shortly after the first advisory was

issued La Rusic (1973) reported that one individual interviewed stated that he would continue to eat fish because he did not believe that they were dangerous. This is still the case among some people, as evidenced by this quote from the Elders Gathering held in ANA in 2009:

I remember them guidelines, I remember them telling us what fish were good to eat and which were not. I didnt listen to them, I eat fish always. Everything I caught in my

net or what I caught I ate it. 16 The persistence among some people in eating fish (even with knowledge of the advisories) is likely for

a variety of reasons. Here are some:

a) Fish are a traditional food of the Anishinaabeg of ANA, and their harvest and consumption are important for both cultural and health reasons;

b) A mercury contaminated fish looks, tastes, and feels like a healthy fish, and observations made during cleaning, cooking, and eating can lead one to conclude that it is perfectly

healthy; c) Unwillingness or inability to purchase market food; d) The usefulness (or lack thereof) of the consumption guidelines; e) The confusion caused by the presence of several different guidelines (see above); f) The mistrust of government officials (Greene, 1973; Simpson and DaSilva, 2009); g) The mixed messages from government officials and outside researchers about the safety of

eating fish (Judy DaSilva, pers. comm., Nov. 2014); and h) Fishing is a protected treaty right, and assertion of that right is important in cultural and

political determination.

It seems that the problems identified long ago surrounding the communication of mercury in fish, consumption advice, and the risk of mercury intake through fish have not yet been fully resolved. Without a doubt communication on fish consumption is complicated but much has been learned and

16 Elder quote from Elders Gathering, March 23-24, 2009, held at ANA, cited in Simpson and Dasilva (2009)

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good advice is offered in La Rusic (1973) and Simpson and DaSilva (2009). Attention in this area is needed and with a special focus on communication with (and for) reproductive women.


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4. STATE OF HUMAN HEALTH

COMMUNITY HEALTH

There has not been a recent survey or assessment of community health of the people of ANA. Given that, there are many unpublished observations of illness in the community (diabetes, infant neurological disorders, Alzheimers Disease, cerebral palsy, miscarriages, birth defects, cancer, and

heart disease (Judy Dasilva, pers. comm., Harada et al, 2005b, Simpson et al, 2009)). Together, these warrant a community health survey and assessment.

The most recent account of community health is provided by Cosway (2001), who extracted information from Medical History Forms and Neuroassessment Forms in the MDB files (along with other sources of information) to attempt a health status report as of 2000.

The most recent community-based health assessment was published in 1996 (almost 20 years ago) and prepared by the Community Health Planning Division of the Grassy Narrows First Nation Health

and Social Services. According to Cosway (2001), that report listed several general problems identified by survey participants. They were: poor family planning, nutrition, housing conditions and recovery from illness or injury as well as pregnancy and violence. Specific health problems included

heart disease, strokes, urinary problems, diabetes, gallbladder disease, respiratory illness, tuberculosis, arthritis, mental health, auditory, visual, and neurological problems, digestion, physical disabilities and substance abuse. The very first published community health survey is presented in a

report written by Postl et al (1989). The data were collected in or before 1987, making those data 27 years old.17

To date, most of the publications of data collected in ANA focus on mercury exposure and its neurological effects. The latest publication was in 2014 with data that was collected in 2010 and this looked only at mercury poisoning symptoms (Takaoka et al, 2014). It showed that older (46 to 76

years) and younger (16 45 years) people of ANA show symptoms of mercury poisoning. The conclusions of Takoaka et al (2014) contradict Chan et al (2005) who concluded that there is no

general concern for mercury within the community. The Chan team based their conclusion not on neurological data but on the average values for hair mercury, which was below the 6 ppm risk/no risk value established by the WHO. One can see that the conclusions are different between the two

groups primarily because they used different indicators. Irrespective of the use of other indicators, one of the weaknesses of the Chan et al 2005 study was the small sample size. 18

17 They are useful for other reasons. They can, for example, be used as benchmarks for establishing trends or as

a resource in designing data collection instruments such as surveys. 18 Hair samples were collected from ~7% of the on-reserve population.

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More recently, and more consistent with the conclusions of Takoaka et al (2014), Chan and Mergler

(2010) reviewed studies that examined the effects of fetal and infant mercury exposure on child neurodevelopment and wrote this summary statement:

Today there is wide consensus that even at low levels of mercury, mercury can affect childrens intellectual and motor development, which is not immediately obvious in children examined individually, but can be observed in population studies19

Chan and Mergler (2010) provide an extensive review on the subject and their associated bibliography is likewise robust.

19 Chan and Mergler (2010), p. 19


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5. ECOLOGICAL HEALTH RESEARCH TO DATE

Most of the publications pertaining to environmental health in ANA are in the form of reports (22) or journal articles (23). Table 5 provides an approximate of each. There were few publications in the 1990s compared to other decades.

Table 5. The number of publications (by decade and type) pertaining to ecological health among the literature compiled by the ANA-Ontario Mercury Working Group.20

Publication period Reports Journal Articles Other

Up to 1980 4 7 4 1981 - 1990 2 10 1

1991 - 2000 0 2 0 2001 - present 16 4 9* * plain language summaries of reports

Table 6 provides an estimate of ecological publications by topic. Most of the publications deal with mercury in fish.

Table 6. The number of publications according to environmental health topic among the literature compiled by the ANA-Ontario Mercury Working Group.21 Topic Reports Journal Articles Other

Bioindicators and biomonitoring 0 2 0

birds 0 2 0 crayfish 4 0 5*

fish 3 9 0 forest 1 0 1

river geochemistry 0 2 1 remediation & recovery 1 5 3

sediment 5 2 5* whole ecosystem 3 1 0

wild foods 7 0 4*

* four are plain language summaries of reports

20 This is a minimum as more have surfaced since the original compilation. 21 Ibid.


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MERCURY STUDIES

Joint study by Canada and Ontario research teams in the late 1970s

During the late 1970s, and as part of a funding agreement between the governments of Canada and Ontario, provincial and federal scientists conducted several studies over the course of two and a half years to assess the degree and effects of mercury pollution in the Wabigoon-English River System.

These include experimental studies, which, along with field measurements, help determine plausible remediation strategies. These studies were the first for this this river system, which means they came after the mercury discharge that spanned the 1960s.

The studies included measurements of levels of mercury in sediment, water, fish and other organisms, rates of methylation in the water column and sediment, factors affecting speciation and

particle reactivity of mercury, and rates of mercury transport downstream. Several enclosure22 experiments were conducted to investigate clean up and remediation strategies, such as the addition of clay or selenium to the water column (e.g. Rudd et al, 1983; Turner and Rudd, 1983). At the time,

relatively little was known about the biogeochemical behavior of mercury and so the Canada-Ontario Wabigoon-English River mercury studies contributed much to the scientific understanding of mercury in aquatic ecosystems.

The findings of the 1979 1980 studies are embodied in two reports (Wabigoon-English River Mercury Study Steering Committee (WERMSSC), 1983; 1984) and subsequent journal publications by

the contributing authors. The third and final section of the Full Technical Report (WERMSSC, 1984) contains the studies conducted to understand how mercury bioaccumulates in aquatic ecosystems. This section is less useful in a contemporary context because a vast amount has been learned about

the behavior of mercury in aquatic ecosystems since.23 The first two sections of the Full Technical Report are the most useful for contemporary discussions. This is for three reasons: a) they contain site-specific historical measurements of levels of mercury in biota, sediment, and water, with which

data subsequently collected has been and can be compared to determine long-trends; b) they contain physical and hydrological information about the Wabigoon-English river system and its basins (e.g. basin and channel morphology, stream discharge, water depths) that will be useful to anyone

22 enclosures are in-lake partitions, typically round, that are situated in the lake and use lake water. Multiple

enclosures within the same lake allow for sample replication and an experimental control. 23 including but not limited to conditions necessary for the methylation of mercury, the role of oxygen

rich/oxygen poor boundaries in controlling demethylating/methylating activities, the relative

importance of trophic transfer in food chain bioaccumulation, and the relative importance of internal (such as sediment methylation, growth rates) and external (i.e. in the catchment area, such as logging

or fires) processes in determining water column and food web mercury.


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resuming monitoring, ecological, or remediation studies and c) they contain discussions of remediation strategies aimed at cleaning up the river.

The Canada-Ontario study provides good benchmark data with which recovery can be measured, particularly for water, sediment and crayfish. In the paragraphs that follow, I incorporate sediment

and crayfish data from the Canada-Ontario study as these two parameters were a component of contaminant surveys undertaken by ANA in the 2000s.

Mercury in fish The first report to demonstrate that fish downstream of Dryden were contaminated (relative to fish

of uncontaminated lakes) was Fimreite and Reynolds (1973). The highest concentration was 27.8 ppm and was measured in a northern pike found dead in the Wabigoon River. At the time, several other burbot, northern pike, and walleye harvested from the Wabigoon River and Clay Lake had mercury

concentrations exceeding 10 ppm. As of 2010, top predator fish of Clay Lake still had highest mercury compared to other lakes measured, with levels ~ 1.0 3.0 ppmsubstantially less than the historical measurements but still above guideline levels (Neff et al, 2012).

Since the early 1970s there have been several fish-focused studies and much has been learned about mercury in the fish in ANAs territory. Table 7 provides a quick glance of available publications.

Table 7. Breakdown of publications reporting on levels of mercury in fish.

Collection year Water body* Fishes** Publication

19701 CL, WR, BL, TiL, IL, SL, GNL Wa, NP, WS, Bu, RB

Fimreite et al, 1973

19711 CL, BL, GNL, SL Wa, NP, WF, WS

Scott and Armstrong, 1972

19721 CL, WR, BL Wa, NP, Bu

Annett et al, 1975

1972 CL Wa, NP, WF, WS

Scott, 1974

1971, 1972, 1976 BL Wa, NP, WF

Armstrong and Scott, 1979

1976 - 1984 several NP, YP Parks et al, 1991 20031 CL, BL, GNL, IL, SL, Ti, ML, Wa, NP, WF, LB

Kinghorn et al, 2007

1970 20101 CL, BL, SL Wa, NP, WF, WS, YP, Sa, Mo

Neff et al, 2012

* CL = Clay Lake, WR = Wabigoon River, BL = Ball Lake, TiL = Tide Lake, ML = Maynard Lake, IL = Indian Lake; SL = Separation Lake; GNL = Grassy Narrows Lake; ER = English River

** Wa = walleye; NP = Northern Pike; WF = whitefish; WS = white sucker; Bu = burbot; RB = Rock Bass; LB =

Largemouth Bass; YP = yellow perch; Sa= Sauger; Mo = mooneye 1 Study also included Tetu Lake, which is downstream of ANAs traditional territory


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What follows is summary based largely on the two most recent publications.

From the studies that include multiple lakes

From Neff et al (2012) we learn that Clay Lake still contains fish with the highest levels of mercury compared to downstream lakes. As of 2010, walleye and northern pike of Clay Lake still had highest mercury compared to other lakes measured. Mercury levels of these fish in the 40 45 cm category

was 1.0 3.0 ppm while those in Ball Lake (north Basin) and Separation Lake have between 0.5 and 1.0 ppm.

Neff et al (2012) also compare mercury levels in fish collected from ANAs territory (between 2000 and 2010) to similar-sized fish collected in other Northwestern Ontario water bodies. Mercury levels in walleye, northern pike, and whitefish from Clay Lake were well above the reported range for the

other water bodies, which means that Clay Lake remains the most highly contaminated lake in northwestern Ontario. In the same fish species from Ball Lake (north basin) and Separation Lake, mercury levels were above the 75th percentile reported for the other water bodies, indicating that

although their concentrations have decreased dramatically since the 1970s and are much closer to having guideline levels of mercury, these 3 fish species in these lakes24 remained elevated in mercury as of 2010.

The strength of data provided by Neff et al (2012) is in its capture of long-term trends. Its weakness is in the small number of lakes, for not all the lakes fished by members of ANA are represented. A

better representation is by Kinghorn et al (2007), who sampling efforts (albeit only one year) included Indian, Grassy Narrows, and Tide Lakes. From a human health perspective it makes sense that the suite of targeted lakes for monitoring of mercury in fish must include those frequently fished by the

people. There are no reports for fish in the south basin of Ball Lake. Nor are there reports for Garden Lake (one of the two lakes bordering the community), which is fished especially by people who do have the means by which to get to other lakes (J. DaSilva, pers. comm, Nov. 2014).

From the studies that include multiple species From the studies that include multiple species, we have learned that the higher up a fish is on the food chain, the more mercury it will have. Fish-eating fish, i.e. top predators such as northern pike

and walleye, have more mercury than fish that eat insects or invertebrates, such as whitefish or mooneye. Top predators generally have concentrations greater th

Asubpeeschoseewagong (Grassy Narrows) - Sellers Final Report 2014

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