A TRIBAL FOOD SAFETY INITIATIVE

1. 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

2. TRIBES PARTICIPATING IN THIS NATIONAL PILOT PROJECT • GRAND PORTAGE CHIPPEWA • LEECH LAKE CHIPPEWA • LITTLE RIVER OTTAWA • MILLE LACS CHIPPEWA • TURTLE MOUNTAIN CHIPPEWA • WHITE EARTH CHIPPEWA

3. 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 TERRITORIES • CONTAMINANTS MAY POSE SERIOUS RISKS TO HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT • TRIBAL MEMBERS CONSUME MORE FISH AND WILD FOODS THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION.

4. MAJOR CONTAMINANTS OF CONCERN: MERCURY • THE MCT LAB BEGAN ANALYZING FISH TISSUE FOR MERCURY IN 1992 • MERCURY IS A KNOWN TOXIN CAUSING NON-CARCINOGENIC IMPACTS AT VERY LOW BLOOD CONCENTRATIONS • MERCURY IS MEASURABLE AT LOW LEVELS IN FISH.

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

6. HOW DO THESE CONTAMINANTS GET INTOFISH AND OTHER FOODS • TODAY, THE MAJOR PATHWAY FOR THESE CONTAMINANTS IS ATMOSPHERIC TRANSPORT • SOME PBTs ARE MIGRATING FROM WARMER TO COLDER LATITUDES (PCBs) BUT GENERAL TRENDS FOR PCBs, DDT AND DIOXINs ARE DECREASING

7. HOW DO THESE CONTAMINANTS GET INTOFISH AND OTHER FOODS • ONCE IN THE ENVIRONMENT THESE CONTAMINANTS BIOACCUMULATE AND MAGNIFY IN THE FOOD WEB • LARGE PREDATORS, FISH OR WILDLIFE, GENERALLY HAVE THE GREATEST CONCENTRATION OF CONTAMINANTS • BIOACCUMULATION OF CONTAMINANTS IS GREATER IN WATER FOODS CHAINS THAN ON LAND

8. THE CONTAMINANTS • EMERGING PBTs INCLUDE PBDEs (TOXICITY SIMILAR TO PCBs)

9. THE TRIBE’S FOCUS ON CHILDREN AND ELDERS • OLD ADAGE “DOSE MAKES THE POISON” NOT ENTIRELY VALID • TIMING OF THE EXPOSURE IS CRITICAL • SOME 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

10. THE IMPACTS • EXTERNAL AGENTS THAT DAMAGE EMBRYONIC OR FETAL DEVELOPMENT CALLED TERATOGENS • SOME FETAL CHEMICAL IMPACTS MAY NOT MANIFEST AT BIRTH, BUT LATER • CLEAR 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)

11. THE IMPACTS • THE LIFETIME ALTERATION OF BIOLOGICAL FUNCTION BY CONDITIONS THAT ARE PRESENT DURING DEVELOPMENT CALLED PROGRAMMING • CHILDREN 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)

12. THE IMPACTS • CHILDREN 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)

13. THE IMPACTS • FETAL 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)

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

15. THE IMPACTS • CANCER BELIEVED TO BE FRONT END LOADED • SOME 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)

16. THE IMPACTS • INVESTIGATORS 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)

17. WHAT MCT HAS ASSESSED • 905 DISCRETE FISH MUSCLE TISSUE MERCURY ANALYSES • 276 DISCRETE FISH TISSUE ORGANIC ANALYSES: MUSCLE TISSUE, LIVER, EGGS • 10 DISCRETE DEER TISSUE ORGANIC ANALYSES: MUSCLE TISSUE AND LIVER • 10 DISCRETE DUCK MUSCLE AND LIVER TISSUE ANALYSES • 14 DISCRETE SNAPPING TURTLE • 2 DISCRETE MOOSE MUSCLE AND LIVER • 1 BEAR MUSCLE AND FAT: ORGANICS • 1WILD TURKEY MUSCLE: ORGANICS

18. WHAT WE FOUND • MERCURY (0.01 to 1.6 ppm) and DDT (<0.5 to 379 ppb) MOST WIDELY DISRIBUTED AND PROBLEMATIC • PCBs (<0.1 to 145 ppt TEQ) • DIOXIN/FURANS (0 to 6.0 ppt TEQ) • DEER, MOOSE, DUCKS, PERCH AND PANFISH RELATIVELY UNCONTAMINATED

19. RISK COMMUNICATION • MERCURY: 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.

20. RISK COMMUNICATION • USE EPA’S 2000 FISH CONSUMPTION GUIDANCE TO DEVELOP INDIVIDUAL AND CUMMULATIVE CONSUMPTION INFORMATION • CONSULT 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)

21. RISK COMMUNICATION • INCLUDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON TRADITIONAL AND COMMERCIAL FOODS • INCLUDE MULTIPLE FISH SPECIES GUIDANCE LAKE BY LAKE AS POSSIBLE AND/OR AS NECESSARY • INCLUDE INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO WOMEN OF CHILD BEARING AGE AND CHILDREN

22. 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

23. RISK COMMUNICATION • MERCURY “FLUSHES” FROM THE BODY IN SEVERAL MONTHS SO SHORT TERM DIET MODIFICATION CAN CHANGE TOXIC IMPACTS • DIOXINs ARE STORED IN FAT OF HUMANS OVER TIME; THESE STORED FATS ARE RELEASED TO THE FETUS AND NURSING INFANT

24. RISK COMMUNICATION • PREVENTION BEGINS WITH DIET MODIFICATION TO AVOID HIGH DIOXIN AND MERCURY FOODS; THE EARLIER IN LIFE THE BETTER; PARTICULARLY FOR FEMALES • NRC RECOMMENDS MOVING BEYOND THE CURRENT APPROACH THAT LOOKS PRIMARILY AT ADULT EXPOSURES • CONSIDER SENSITIVITIES OF DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES • USE A CHILD PROTECTIVE FACTOR OF 10 WHERE DATA INCOMPLETE OR LACKING

25. RISK COMMUNICATION • FOR MANY TRIBAL LIFEWAYS RISK ASSESSMENTS, ADDITIONAL EXPOSURE, UNCERTAINTY AND SAFETY FACTORS ARE NECESSARY • MANY TRIBAL MEMBERS EAT MORE FISH, SPEND MORE TIME OUTDOORS & EXERT MORE ENERGY THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION

26. WHAT EVERYONE CAN DO • EAT HEALTHY • ADVOCATE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND GLOBAL IMPLEMENTATION OF POLLUTION PREVENTION TECHNOLOGIES

27. OUR THANKS • To 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.

28. 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.