ATSDR Releases Health Consultation on Alaska Native Traditional Foods From Cook Inlet Area

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

ATLANTA---The federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has completed a health consultation requested by the Alaska Native villages of Port Graham, Nanwalek, Seldovia, and Tyonek in the Cook Inlet area of Alaska. Village residents asked for the health consultation to find out whether eating Alaska Native traditional foods could harm people�s health.

One of the most important points from the health consultation is that a traditional food called chiton (badarki) has lead in it, and eating food with lead in it could harm children's health. Therefore, to protect children's health, preschool and elementary-age children should eat no more than 3 ounces of chiton per week.

To do the health consultation, ATSDR reviewed seafood and plant data collected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Environmental Monitoring Program. Environmental data were available on salmon and other saltwater fish, mussels, clams, snail, chiton, octopus, kelp, seaweed, and goose tongue.

ATSDR's findings and conclusions

The data showed that small amounts of metals, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and one dioxin compound were in traditional native foods from Cook Inlet. The small amounts of chemicals found in many native foods were often at levels found in fish from other parts of Alaska and from grocery stores in the United States.

The following are ATSDR's five main conclusions from the health consultation report:

1. Chiton (badarki) contains lead, which could harm children's health. Therefore, to protect children's health , preschool and elementary-age children should eat 3 ounces or less of chiton a week. Adults eating chiton are not at risk of harming their health, because adults absorb less lead from food than children do. The amount of lead found in other native foods is not high enough to cause harmful health effects in children or adults.
2. Other chemicals besides lead that were detected in native foods from Cook Inlet and evaluated in this health consultation are not expected to harm people's health. ATSDR's reached this conclusion because (a) the amount of these chemicals people would get from eating fish and native foods was below levels that are a health risk, or (b) in some cases, the chemicals were found occasionally in just a few samples.
3. Eating fish and other native foods is not expected to cause a noticeable increase in cancer, because the risk of getting cancer from the chemicals detected in native food is very low, possibly zero. This cancer risk is similar to the risk that can be calculated for eating the same amount of fish from other parts of Alaska and from fish purchased from grocery stores in the United States.
4. ATSDR cannot currently say for sure whether eating eggs and organs from fish from Cook Inlet could harm people's health. ATSDR did not have enough information on chemicals in fish eggs and organs, such as liver and kidney, to make a decision about health effects in humans.
5. Until more research is conducted on PAHs, ATSDR cannot determine whether levels of several PAHs in some Cook Inlet seafood samples could harm people's health. The reason ATSDR could not adequately evaluate those PAHs is that currently very little information is available about their harmful effects.

ATSDR will provide the findings of this health consultation to the village chiefs for Port Graham, Nanwalek, Seldovia, and Tyonek, and to officials of the State of Alaska and the EPA. Also, ATSDR has posted a copy of the health consultation on the Internet at the following URL:
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ATSDR's recommendations

On the basis of the findings of the health consultation, ATSDR recommends -

• villagers keep a dietary journal or "food diary" of the native foods they eat throughout the year;
• future sampling of fish in Cook Inlet for human health-related purposes target specific parts of the fish, such as eggs and liver, that are important to traditional dietary customs of Alaska Natives;
• parents have their children's blood tested for lead at their local health clinic if they are concerned about lead harming their children's health; and
• members of the public who have health concerns contact their health care professional.

Where to get more information

The State of Alaska provides much information about the health benefits and risks of consuming native foods. People can get information about chemicals such as PCBs and mercury, along with advice about eating fish at this State of Alaska website: http://www.epi.hss.state.ak.us/eh/subsistence.htm.

Parents can find out how to prevent lead from harming their children's health by getting information from local clinics. Also, information about the state�s lead program is available on the web at http://www.epi.hss.state.ak.us/eh/default.stm or from a staff member of the State of Alaska's lead surveillance program at 907-269-8000.

For more information about chemicals in native foods, members of the public should contact ATSDR at 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) and ask to be transferred to Dr. David Mellard.

About ATSDR

ATSDR, a federal public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, evaluates the human health effects of exposure to hazardous substances. ATSDR is committed to helping Alaska Natives protect their native foods and culture.

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Members of the news media can request an interview by calling the NCEH/ATSDR Office of Communication at 770-488-0700.

Related News Releases For Port Graham, Nanwalek, Seldovia, Alaska, USA

ATSDR Releases Health Consultation on Alaska Native Traditional Foods From Cook Inlet Area
Release Date: Wednesday, July 29, 2009
ATLANTA---The federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has completed a health consultation requested by the Alaska Native villages of Port Graham, Nanwalek, Seldovia, and Tyonek in the Cook Inlet area of Alaska. Village residents asked for the health consultation to find out whether eating Alaska Native traditional foods could harm people's health.

ATSDR Releases Health Consultation on Alaska Native Traditional Foods from Cook Inlet Area
Release Date: Wednesday, July 29, 2009
ATLANTA - The federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has completed a health consultation requested by the Alaska Native villages of Port Graham, Nanwalek, Seldovia, and Tyonek in the Cook Inlet area of Alaska. Village residents asked for the health consultation to find out whether eating Alaska Native traditional foods could harm people's health.

• Page last reviewed: February 9, 2009
• Page last updated: February 9, 2009
• Content source: Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry