More information on measured contaminants | Human Exposure and Toxicology Research Group

Overview

Human biomonitoring studies were held in communities in the Dehcho and Sahtú regions (Northwest Territories) and in Old Crow (Yukon) between 2016 and 2020, with funding from the Northern Contaminants Program. This project studied people’s exposures to contaminants by collecting hair, blood, and urine samples.

Additional funding later allowed our team to measure additional contaminants in samples from participants who agreed.

This page provides links to reliable external resources where participants and community members can learn more about the contaminants that were recently measured. The resources are organized by participating region.

Contaminant resources by participating region

Dehcho Region (Northwest Territories) - Mackenzie Valley Biomonitoring Project

We measured some chemicals that can be released by wildfires, including dioxins, furans, and dioxin-like PCBs. We also measured a pesticide called chlorpyrifos.

The resources below provide more information about these contaminants:

Dioxins, furans, and dioxin-like PCBs

Government of Northwest Territories: Environmental health contaminant fact sheet: Dioxins

Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (branch of the U.S. Centers of Disease Control): ToxFAQ (factsheet) for Dioxins

Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (branch of the U.S. Centers of Disease Control): ToxFAQ (factsheet) for Furans

Canadian Lung Association: Residential wood burning techniques to release fewer dioxins

Chlorpyrifos

Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (branch of the U.S. Centers of Disease Control): ToxFAQ (factsheet) for Chlorpyrifos

Sahtú Region (Northwest Territories) - Mackenzie Valley Biomonitoring Project

We measured PFNA and other Forever Chemicals, called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). We also measured several types of chemicals that can be released by wildfires, including dioxins, furans, and dioxin-like PCBs, and a pesticide called chlorpyrifos.

The resources below provide more information about these contaminants:

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances)

Government of Northwest Territories: Environmental health contaminant fact sheet: Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances

Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (branch of the U.S. Centers of Disease Control): ToxFAQ (factsheet) for Perfluoroalkyls

Dioxins, furans, and dioxin-like PCBs

Government of Northwest Territories: Environmental health contaminant fact sheet: Dioxins

Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (branch of the U.S. Centers of Disease Control): ToxFAQ (factsheet) for Dioxins

Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (branch of the U.S. Centers of Disease Control): ToxFAQ (factsheet) for Furans

Canadian Lung Association: Residential wood burning techniques to release fewer dioxins

Chlorpyrifos

Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (branch of the U.S. Centers of Disease Control): ToxFAQ (factsheet) for Chlorpyrifos

Old Crow (Yukon) - Yukon Contaminant Biomonitoring

We measured some industrial chemicals used in flame retardants and plastics called chlorinated paraffins. These chlorinated paraffins included SCCPs and MCCPs. We also measured a pesticide called chlorpyrifos.

The resources below provide more information about these contaminants:

Chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs and MCCPs)

Government of Canada: Chlorinated paraffins (Canadian Environmental Protection Act substance assessment)

United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Risk management for SCCPs

Chlorpyrifos

Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (branch of the U.S. Centers of Disease Control): ToxFAQ (factsheet) for Chlorpyrifos

Questions or comments?

The biomonitoring research team is available to answer your questions and listen to your concerns. Our contact information is available below:

Brian Laird, Principal Investigator

brian.laird@uwaterloo.ca

(519) 888-4567, ext. 42720

Mylène Ratelle, Co-Investigator

mylene.ratelle@umontreal.ca

(514) 343-5912