fish, moose, fowl), which have been associated with lower risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, are integral to the health and food security of First Nations communities in Northwest Territories. However, concerns regarding mercury and cadmium have led to a series of contaminant advisories. For example, elevated levels of methylmercury (MeHg) have been reported in predatory fish species in several lakes important to subsistence fisheries, presenting a variety of public health risks related to permanent adverse effects to the neurological, immune, and cardiovascular systems. Additionally, in some parts of the territory, elevated cadmium levels have been recorded in moose kidney and livers. Therefore, the development of public health strategies related to contaminant exposures from country foods in the Northwest Territories need to strike a balance between risks and benefits. But, before this balance can be adequately struck, additional information regarding actual levels of contaminant exposure among First Nations individuals and communities is required. This can be best obtained through biomonitoring, which refers to the measurement of contaminant levels in human tissues fluids, thereby characterizing exposure in a way that accounts for dietary patterns and inter-individual toxicokinetic differences. The aim of the project is to implement the biomonitoring program in two regions of the Northwest Territories (Dehcho and Sahtú regions). The project will use a risk-benefit approach to promote country food in order to improve nutrition and food security while lessening contaminant exposure among First Nations communities. This project is supported by the Northern Contaminant Program (NCP) and is divided into four components:
1) Strengthening partnerships and community consultations;
2) Biomonitoring implementation;
3) Returning results to individual participants, comparing exposures to selected risk assessment guidelines;
4) Drafting public health messaging in collaboration with community groups, local governments and stakeholders.
