A TRIBAL FOOD SAFETY INITIATIVE

A TRIBAL EFFORT TO INFORM FOOD CONSUMPTION

DECISIONS

John Persell, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and Steve Smith, Minnesota

Chippewa Tribe

TRIBES PARTICIPATING IN THIS NATIONAL PILOT PROJECT

GRAND PORTAGE CHIPPEWALEECH LAKE CHIPPEWALITTLE RIVER OTTAWAMILLE LACS CHIPPEWATURTLE MOUNTAIN CHIPPEWAWHITE EARTH CHIPPEWA

WHY IS THE TRIBE CONCERNED ABOUT FISH AND OTHER FOOD CONTAMINANTS

THROUGH TREATIES WITH THE UNITED STATES, TRIBAL GOVERNEMNTS RETAINED RESOURCE USE RIGHTS.TRIBAL MEMBERS MAY HUNT, FISH AND GATHER WITHIN THEIR RESERVATIONS AND CEDED TERRITORIESCONTAMINANTS MAY POSE SERIOUS RISKS TO HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENTTRIBAL MEMBERS CONSUME MORE FISH AND WILD FOODS THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION.

MAJOR CONTAMINANTS OF CONCERN: MERCURY

THE MCT LAB BEGAN ANALYZING FISH TISSUE FOR MERCURY IN 1992MERCURY IS A KNOWN TOXIN CAUSING NON-CARCINOGENIC IMPACTS AT VERY LOW BLOOD CONCENTRATIONSMERCURY IS MEASURABLE AT LOW LEVELS IN FISH.

PCBS, DIOXIN AND DDTTHE TRIBE BEGAN INVESTIGATING OTHER FISH CONTAMINANTS IN 1998PCBs, DIOXIN AND DDT WERE ANALYTICALLY SCREENED AS CONTAMINANTS OF CONCERN PCBS, DIOXIN AND DDT ARE CARCINOGENIC AND CAUSE NON CANCER IMPACTS AS WELLPCBS AND DDT WERE BOTH BANNED IN THE 1970S BUT CONTINUE TO PERSIST AS LEGACY POLLUTANTS

HOW DO THESE CONTAMINANTS GET INTO FISH AND OTHER FOODS

TODAY, THE MAJOR PATHWAY FOR THESE CONTAMINANTS IS ATMOSPHERIC TRANSPORTSOME PBTs ARE MIGRATING FROM WARMER TO COLDER LATITUDES (PCBs) BUT GENERAL TRENDS FOR PCBs, DDT AND DIOXINs ARE DECREASING

HOW DO THESE CONTAMINANTS GET INTO FISH AND OTHER FOODS

ONCE IN THE ENVIRONMENT THESE CONTAMINANTS BIOACCUMULATE AND MAGNIFY IN THE FOOD WEBLARGE PREDATORS, FISH OR WILDLIFE, GENERALLY HAVE THE GREATEST CONCENTRATION OF CONTAMINANTSBIOACCUMULATION OF CONTAMINANTS IS GREATER IN WATER FOODS CHAINS THAN ON LAND

THE CONTAMINANTSEMERGING PBTs INCLUDE PBDEs (TOXICITY SIMILAR TO PCBs)

THE TRIBE’S FOCUS ON CHILDREN AND ELDERS

OLD ADAGE “DOSE MAKES THE POISON” NOT ENTIRELY VALIDTIMING OF THE EXPOSURE IS CRITICALSOME CHEMICALS CROSS PLACENTA AND MAY CONCENTRATE IN FETAL TISSUE (Timbrell, 2000)DIETHYLSTILOBESTROL (DES), THALIDOMIDE, ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO SMOKE ALL SHOW SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE HEALTH IMPACTS DURING DEVLOPMENTAL EXPOSURE (Selevan, 2000)FOOD CONTAMINANTS AND MEDICATIONS MAY NOT MIX

THE IMPACTSEXTERNAL AGENTS THAT DAMAGE EMBRYONIC OR FETAL DEVELOPMENT CALLED TERATOGENSSOME FETAL CHEMICAL IMPACTS MAY NOT MANIFEST AT BIRTH, BUT LATERCLEAR ASSOCIATION BETWEEN IN UTERO DES EXPOSURE AND VAGINAL CANCER (Fowler, 1978; Kruse, 2003)LATER WORK SHOWS ASSOCIATION BETWEEN IN UTERO DES EXPOSURE AND REPRODUCTIVE CANCERS AND HYPOSPADIAS IN MALES (Klip, 2000)

THE IMPACTSTHE LIFETIME ALTERATION OF BIOLOGICAL FUNCTION BY CONDITIONS THAT ARE PRESENT DURING DEVELOPMENT CALLED PROGRAMMINGCHILDREN 1 TO 5 YEARS EAT 3 TO 4 TIMES AS MUCH FOOD PER POUND OF BODY WEIGHT AS ADULTS (ATSDR, HHS) AND, CHILDREN TEND TO CONSUME MORE OF CERTAIN FOODS SUCH AS DAIRY FURTHER INCREASING THEIR DISPROPORTIONATE EXPOSURE (NRC)

THE IMPACTSCHILDREN BREATH MORE AIR THAN ADULTS, POUND PER POUND; ESTIMATED TWICE THAT OF RESTING ADULT (ATSDR, HHS, EPA)CHILDREN’S ABILITY TO ELIMINATE AND EXCRETE CONTAMINANTS IS LESS WELL DEVELOPED THAN ADULTS; UNDEVELOPED DETOXIFYING ENZYMES (Miller, 2002)

THE IMPACTSFETAL EXPOSURE TO MERCURY CAN AFFECT THE DEVELOPING BRAIN WHILE THE MOTHER MAY EXPERIENCE NO OR MILD EFFECTS (Etzel, 1999)CDC REPORTS 8% OF CHILDBEARING AGE WOMEN IN U.S. CARRY A DANGEROUS MERCURY BODY BURDEN; 325,000 NEWBORNS A YEAR AT RISK (CDC, 2003)RISK EVEN GREATER FOR HIGH FISH INTAKE POPULATIONS, 20% to 80% (CDC, 1994; Env. Canada, 2000)

THE IMPACTSCHILDHOOD CANCERS IN U.S. INCREASED OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES; MORTALITY RATES DOWN OVER THAT PERIODALL CANCERS IN CHILDREN UP 27.4% FROM 1973 TO 1990SINCE 1990 ALL CANCERS INCIDENCE DECREASED IN BOYS BUT CONTINUES TO INCREASE IN GIRLSSOME CANCERS CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN YOUNG MEN, TESTICULAR UP 68% FROM 1973 TO 1994 (Etzel et.al., 2003)

THE IMPACTSCANCER BELIEVED TO BE FRONT END LOADEDSOME SCIENTISTS FOUND EARLY LIFE EXPOSURES TO CARCINOGENS A GREATER PORTION OF LIFETIME CANCER RISK, DUE TO ENVIRONMENTAL CARCINIGENS, THAN TOTAL EXPOSURE THROUGH LIFE (EPA, 2003)

THE IMPACTSINVESTIGATORS REPORT INCREASES IN NEURODEVLOPMENTAL DISORDERS SUCH AS DYSLEXIA, MENTAL RETARDATION, ADD, AND AUTISM; DATA ARE INSUFFICIENT TO SUSTAIN OR REFUTE THESE ASSERTIONS (Etzel et.al., 2003)DEVELOPMENTAL EXPOSURE OF RATS TO MERCURY AND PCBs TOGETHER DRAMATICALLY IMPACTED THE PUPS MOTOR SKILLS IN ONE OF THREE TESTS WHERE MERCURY OR PCBs ALONE HAD NO IMPACT (Schantz, 2004)

WHAT MCT HAS ASSESSED905 DISCRETE FISH MUSCLE TISSUE MERCURY ANALYSES276 DISCRETE FISH TISSUE ORGANIC ANALYSES: MUSCLE TISSUE, LIVER, EGGS10 DISCRETE DEER TISSUE ORGANIC ANALYSES: MUSCLE TISSUE AND LIVER10 DISCRETE DUCK MUSCLE AND LIVER TISSUE ANALYSES 14 DISCRETE SNAPPING TURTLE2 DISCRETE MOOSE MUSCLE AND LIVER1 BEAR MUSCLE AND FAT: ORGANICS1WILD TURKEY MUSCLE: ORGANICS

WHAT WE FOUNDMERCURY (0.01 to 1.6 ppm) and DDT (<0.5 to 379 ppb) MOST WIDELY DISRIBUTED AND PROBLEMATICPCBs (<0.1 to 145 ppt TEQ)DIOXIN/FURANS (0 to 6.0 ppt TEQ)DEER, MOOSE, DUCKS, PERCH AND PANFISH RELATIVELY UNCONTAMINATED

RISK COMMUNICATIONMERCURY: USE EPA REFERENCE DOSE (Rfd) WITH APPROPRIATE CONSUMPTION QUANTITIES AND SAFETY FACTORS. MCT CURRENTLY PROTECTS TO A BLOOD CONCENTRATION OF 5 ppb. 5.8 ppb IS CURRENT EPA DEVELOPMENTAL EFFECTS THRESHOLD.

RISK COMMUNICATIONUSE EPA’S 2000 FISH CONSUMPTION GUIDANCE TO DEVELOP INDIVIDUAL AND CUMMULATIVE CONSUMPTION INFORMATIONCONSULT SCIENCE LITERATURE, EPA ORD, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION FOR COMMERCIAL FOOD CONTAMINANT INFORMATION (DIOXINs, PCBs and DDT ARE COMMON IN HIGH FAT FOODS SUCH AS DAIRY AND BEEF)

RISK COMMUNICATIONINCLUDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON TRADITIONAL AND COMMERCIAL FOODSINCLUDE MULTIPLE FISH SPECIES GUIDANCE LAKE BY LAKE AS POSSIBLE AND/OR AS NECESSARYINCLUDE INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO WOMEN OF CHILD BEARING AGE AND CHILDREN

RISK COMMUNICATION• THE IOM COMMITTEE ON DIOXIN

RECOMMENDS ADDING INFORMATION ABOUT CANCER AND OTHER HEALTH PREVENTION BENEFITS TO THE CURRENT NUTRITION MESSAGE LINKING DIETARY SATURATED FAT REDUCTION WITH REDUCTION IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

RISK COMMUNICATIONMERCURY “FLUSHES” FROM THE BODY IN SEVERAL MONTHS SO SHORT TERM DIET MODIFICATION CAN CHANGE TOXIC IMPACTSDIOXINs ARE STORED IN FAT OF HUMANS OVER TIME; THESE STORED FATS ARE RELEASED TO THE FETUS AND NURSING INFANT

RISK COMMUNICATIONPREVENTION BEGINS WITH DIET MODIFICATION TO AVOID HIGH DIOXIN AND MERCURY FOODS; THE EARLIER IN LIFE THE BETTER; PARTICULARLY FOR FEMALESNRC RECOMMENDS MOVING BEYOND THE CURRENT APPROACH THAT LOOKS PRIMARILY AT ADULT EXPOSURESCONSIDER SENSITIVITIES OF DEVELOPMENTAL STAGESUSE A CHILD PROTECTIVE FACTOR OF 10 WHERE DATA INCOMPLETE OR LACKING

RISK COMMUNICATIONFOR MANY TRIBAL LIFEWAYS RISK ASSESSMENTS, ADDITIONAL EXPOSURE, UNCERTAINTY AND SAFETY FACTORS ARE NECESSARYMANY TRIBAL MEMBERS EAT MORE FISH, SPEND MORE TIME OUTDOORS & EXERT MORE ENERGY THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION

WHAT EVERYONE CAN DOEAT HEALTHYADVOCATE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND GLOBAL IMPLEMENTATION OF POLLUTION PREVENTION TECHNOLOGIES

OUR THANKSTo the Tribal Leadership as well as Tribal Environmental Quality and Natural Resource Staff for their assistance with and participation in this Tribal food safety initiative: Grand Portage, Brad Frazier, Jay Clearwater; Leech Lake, Shirley Nordrum, Jeff Harper; Little River, Stephanie Ogren; Mille Lacs, Perry Bunting, Leonard Sam; Turtle Mountain, Archie Gronvold; White Earth, Monica Hedstrom, Jeff Wark, Tim LaFriniere.

We expect the Tribal Food Guide to be published and available here in early August 2007.  Contact John Persell at jpersell@lldrm.org if questions or for further information.