The NCP aims to reduce and, wherever possible, eliminate contaminants in traditionally harvested foods, while providing information that assists informed decision making by individuals and communities in their food use. The biomonitoring program monitors concentrations of contaminants in human tissues in the North and assesses spatial and temporal patterns/trends. Where available, contaminant guidelines are used to evaluate risk to populations/communities. A multi-disciplinary approach is used to evaluate contaminant concentrations, health effects, dietary research, and risk management/communication to meet the objectives of the NCP. Main gaps: Trend data of legacy POPs and metals, particularly for communities having only two sampling periods; measurements of tissue concentrations of emerging contaminants and other contaminants of interest (e.g., food preservation/storage, personal care products); health effects data. Network type: Thematical observations: Contaminant concentrations and health effects data - Field stations: None, community / population based research. - Community based observations: Participation of community health workers and community residents is essential for data collection through tissue samples - Coordination: NCP management committee, review teams, and regional contaminant committees all involve members from federal governments, territorial and provincial governments, northern Aboriginal partner organizations throughout all phases of research planning, implementation and reporting.
Concentrations of contaminants in maternal blood and breast milk across three Arctic regions (NWT, Nunavut, and Nunavik), and in the blood of Inuit men and women in Nunavik • Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) - oxychlordane - trans-nonachlor - p,p’-DDE -toxaphene (parlar 50) - polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs 138, 153, 180) • Heavy metals - total and organic mercury - lead - cadmium - selenium • Emerging contaminants (Nunavik only) - Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs 47, 99, 100, 153) - perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) • Health impacts data (Nunavik only) - Immune, neurodevelopmental, and cardiovascular endpoints (see E. Dewailly at U. of Laval, QC)
NCP management committee, review teams, and regional contaminant committees all involve members from federal governments, territorial and provincial governments, northern Aboriginal partner organizations throughout all phases of research planning, implementation and reporting. Networks: Stockholm Convention Global Monitoring Plan (Stockholm Convention Global Monitoring Plan), Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP)
Participation of community health workers and community residents is essential for data collection through tissue samples