A thirty-year contaminant trend analysis in great lakes Native American fish harvests 1991-2021.

The Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority (CORA) in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan has been monitoring contaminant concentrations of mercury (Hg) and polychorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the fillet portions of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformus) from waters of lakes Superior, Huron, and Michigan since 1991. This contaminant monitoring program is essential to supporting the fisheries interests and consumption advice for five Ojibwa and Ottawa tribes (collectively called Anishinaabe) whose ancestors ceded lands through the 1836 Treaty of Washingtonbut retained the rights to hunt and fish on those lands and waters. This manuscript presents an updated contaminant trend analysis covering the past three decades in which we observed a significant decreasing trend of median PCBs in both whitefish and lake trout harvested by tribal fishermen across all lakes. Median Hg tissue burdens significantly increased in whitefish harvests across all lakes and lake trout harvested from lake Michigan relative to earlier decades. Linear regression of fish fillets, adjusted for length, also conform to these trends. In 2021, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were detected in all Lake Michigan samples of lake trout (median 6.81pbb total PFAS) and in white fish (median 7.18 ppb total PFAS). Both decreasing and increasing trends of these key contaminants can alter fish consumption advice and risk calculations relative to advice presented in earlier decades.

Environmental health literacy for Anishinaabe (Great Lakes Native American) fish consumers: A randomized control trial.

BACKGROUND: Fish consumption comprises an important part of what the Anishinaabe (Great Lakes Native Americans) call "minobimaadiziiwin" which translates roughly to "living in a good way". Industrial activity leading to the accumulation of persistent contaminants in fish disrupts minobimaadiziiwin. Our team of academic and Anishinaabe scientists co-developed a fish consumption advisory for the Anishinaabe using software that can be accessed via mobile phones and/or the internet. OBJECTIVES: The software, Gigiigoo'inaan ("our fish") is designed to improve environmental health literacy using culturally congruent messaging and aesthetics. We tested the following hypotheses: 1) the Gigiigoo'inaan would encourage consumption of fish high in Polyunsaturated Omega-3 fatty acids (PFUA-3) whilst minimizing contaminant intake (methylmercury (MeHg) and Polychorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)); and 2) intervention participants will be more likely than controls to achieve a favorable n-3 PUFA/MeHg consumption ratios. METHODS: We conducted a randomized controlled trial with prospective self-reported fish consumption using automated email surveys. One-month pre and one month post, control and intervention outcome variables were calculated per participant as µg/kg/day of MeHg, µg/kg/day of PCB, g of fish, and mg/day of EPA+DHA. These were modeled using an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with a-priori covariates: age, sex, and tribal affiliation. RESULTS: Most participants in both trial arms reported eating relatively elevated amounts of fish yet remained within advisory guidelines for contaminants. EPA+DHA:MeHg ratios were also favorable in most participants. Advisory limits for contaminants were exceeded by relatively few participants in the study. DISCUSSION: Gigiigoo'inaan was previously reported to increase confidence, the current user feedback confirms this. Most participants ate fish but did not exceed the advisory limits, which demonstrates Environmental Health Literacy progress in the region despite a lack of observed behavior change during the trial. A small number of participants exceeded contaminant intake guidelines which matches the pilot work for this study.

Risk-Benefit Modeling to Guide Health Research in Collaboration with Great Lakes Fish Consuming Native American Communities.

It is well documented that fish consumption imparts both health risks and benefits. Furthermore, fish harvest and consumption are an essential part of Great Lakes Native American cultures. Quantitative models that compare risk and benefits to potential consumption scenarios can help guide future health research as well as consumption advice for potentially sensitive populations. This article presents fish consumption scenarios based on self-reported meal plans constructed by tribal members in eastern upper peninsula and northern lower Michigan Anishinaabe. Two risk-benefit models were applied to these scenarios to estimate the potential neurodevelopmental and cardiovascular risks (either increased or reduced risk) from dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs), methylmercury (MeHg), and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n3-PUFA). All scenarios except maximum exposure estimates (i.e. 25th-75th percentile MeHg, DL-PCB, and n3-PUFA intakes) predicted reduced cardiovascular risk and improved neurodevelopmental outcomes. The greatest predicted benefits (adjusted for risks) occurred at the 75th percentile intake of MeHg, DL-PCB, and n3-PUFA scenarios: 5.0 visual recall memory (VRM) and 4.41 Intelligence Quotient (IQ) benefits, and 28% reduced risk of cardio-vascular disease. Scenarios based on maximum self-reported intake, however, predicted health detriments. These results suggest that most fish consumption scenarios as constructed in collaboration with Native American communities could impart health benefits despite the presence of contaminants. However, high-end consumption estimates warrant caution as well as the need for well-crafted advice. Potential benefits further underscore the value of reducing contamination burdens in Great Lakes fisheries. Future priorities of ongoing contamination monitoring and health research are discussed.

Fatty Acids in Ten Species of Fish Commonly Consumed by the Anishinaabe of the Upper Great Lakes.

The Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority (CORA) in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, has been monitoring contaminant concentrations in the fillet portions of fish from the 1836 treaty-ceded waters of lakes Superior, Huron, and Michigan since 1991. The goal is to provide up to date consumption advice for their CORA member tribes. For the first time since the program started, CORA has included fatty acid analysis in 2016 monitoring of fish in Lake Superior. Ten species were targeted by CORA based on 25 years of experience and regular discussions with Anishinaabe fish consumers. This paper reports these results and presents some preliminary discussion of the consequences for consumption advice for the CORA member tribes who inhabit the Great Lakes region. Six of the species were sampled from Lake Huron and Lake Superior and four were sampled from supermarkets. Wild caught fish are an important link to the culture of Great Lakes Native American tribes and important sources of food and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA N-3). While some PUFA N-3 data from the Great Lakes is available, this dataset provides an important supplement and is specific to the 1836-treaty ceded waters of CORA. This paper confirms the presence of PUFA N-3s in Great Lakes fish traditionally harvested by the CORA tribes.

Mercury, Polychlorinated Biphenyls, Selenium, and Fatty Acids in Tribal Fish Harvests of the Upper Great Lakes.

The Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority monitors fish contaminants in Anishinaabe (Great Lake Native American) tribal fisheries. This article updates previously reported trends in two persistent bioaccumulative toxic (PBT) substances that are the primary contributors to consumption advisory limits for these fish: methylmercury (MeHg) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Also, we report, for the first time, an analysis of nutritional benefit bioindicators and metrics in these same Upper Great Lakes fish harvests: selenium (Se) and omega-3 fatty acids (PUFA-3s). A novel risk/benefit quantification originally presented by Ginsberg et al. is reported here to characterize the tradeoffs between fatty acid benefits and toxic MeHg health outcomes. We also report a Se benefit metric to characterize the possible protective value against MeHg neurotoxicity based on Ralston et al. Congruent with Anishinaabe cultural motivations to consume fish from their ancestral fisheries, nutritional content was high in locally caught fish and, in some respects, superior to farmed/store-bought fish. These Great Lakes fish still contained levels of PBTs that require careful education and guidance for consumers. However, the contaminant trends suggest that these fish need not be abandoned as important (both culturally and nutritionally) food sources for the Anishinaabe who harvested them.