NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region

Tags: contaminants, beluga whale, Pollutants, public health

Objective(s): To investigate the impact of common preparation methods on the concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids and environmental contaminants in beluga muktuk with the overall objective to maximize nutrient intake while minimizing contaminant exposure.

Project Description: The objectives of this research project are: 1. to investigate the impact of common preparation methods on the concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids and environmental contaminants in beluga muktuk; 2. to determine if phase separation in beluga muktuk causes oil and solid phases to have significantly different omega-3 fatty acid and contaminant levels; and 3. to suggest possible beluga muktuk consumption advice, to maximize nutrient intake while minimizing contaminant exposure. The research team will measure the concentrations of select fatty acids and neutral and ionic contaminants (polychlorinated biphenyls, perfluoroalkyl chemicals, and pesticides) during the muktuk preparation process. With the assistance of the Tuktoyaktuk Hunters and Trappers Committee (HTC), the research team plan to collect samples during the local 2014 summer beluga hunting season. The research team will initially isolate small (~ 25 g) duplicate blubber cores from freshly caught whales, though one individual will likely be sufficient. Following, the team will continue to sample the blubber taken from this individual after each step in the preparation process; the research team will rely on the expertise of the Tuktoyaktuk HTC to direct muktuk preparation. Blubber and muktuk samples will be frozen immediately following isolation (-20°C) and prepped for shipping to either the University of Ottawa, where a research partner and colleagues will conduct nutrient analyses, or the University of Toronto where POP analyses will be conducted in the laboratory. These measurements will potentially allow the research team to identify which portions of prepared muktuk are most important for nutrient intake and contaminant exposure. Assistance from the Tuktoyaktuk HTC will be important in project planning and field study. The research team will rely on members of both the Tuktoyaktuk HTC and local community to provide captured beluga whale(s) for field sampling, and traditional knowledge regarding beluga muktuk preparation practices. The research team will also require their help for beluga tissue resampling during muktuk processing (ageing, drying, fermenting, etc.). Northern results communication represents a chief goal of the proposed project. At the local community level, initial presentation of the proposal to the Tuktoyaktuk HTC took place, with additional consultation scheduled. Also, a PhD student will visit local elders, schools, and community groups to discuss the project motivation during the July 2014 sampling period. Following field sampling the research team will regularly distribute documentation of the results to local community organizations, such as the Tuktoyaktuk HTC and Inuvialuit Game Council, including any resulting academic papers or theses. A follow-up visit is also planned for spring 2015 to present findings in person to these same community groups. Additionally, one major funding source for this project is the Northern Contaminants Program (NCP), a division of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. As part of the NCP communications strategy, the research team have already planned several meetings with project stakeholders from the NWT territorial government (among others) to present the findings, including teleconference calls each spring, and in-person meetings each fall during 2014 and 2015. NWT governmental representatives will include: Chief Public Health Officer, Deputy Chief Public Health Officer, and Environmental Health Officer. The research team will also report project findings at the upcoming 2014 and 2015 NCP Results Workshops. These conferences represent major national and Northern forums for dissemination of scientific research related to environmental contaminant issues in Canada’s North. Organizations represented at the most recent 20th NCP Results Workshop (2013) included the Inuit Circumpolar Council Canada, ArcticNet, Environment Canada, Health Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, as well as representatives from several territorial governments (NWT, Nunavut, Yukon) and universities (Laval, Manitoba, Ottawa, Toronto, etc.). The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from June 20, 2014 to July 20, 2014.