NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Sahtu Settlement Area, Qikiqtaaluk Region

Tags: contaminants, social sciences, traditional food, lead

Objective(s): To continue investigating the determinants of lead exposure in humans and to assess health risk in the Sahtú region and provide knowledge on potential strategies to reduce the lead exposures in Dene and Métis communities.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No.5204. This project proposes to continue investigating the determinants of lead exposure in humans and to assess health risk in the Sahtú region. This project will provide knowledge on potential strategies to reduce the lead exposures in Dene and Métis communities. The research team propose to: 1) Implement the previously developed online survey to evaluate determinants related to multiple exposure pathways to Lead (Pb) in three Sahtú communities; 2) Measure Pb in archived country food samples (wild game and fish muscle); 3) Use statistical modeling to assess the associations between survey results and previously-collected dietary and biomarker data (Pb in blood and urine); 4) Integrate environmental Pb data and human biomonitoring data to estimate average Pb intake (dose estimation); and 5) Draft communication materials (health education/health promotion) for participating communities recommending ways to reduce Pb exposure. Compiled results of the lead test will be given to Sahtu partners. To succeed in communications the research team worked frequently with interpreters and facilitators, who have come to know the projects. In line with the previous projects, the team will provide the community contacts with bi-monthly phone/email updates of the research progress. Few times per year, the team will send newsletters on the recent project activities to community partners. In addition, the team aim to have an online presence (e.g., Facebook). The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from June 6, 2022 to December 31, 2022