Perfluoroalkyl acid and bisphenol-A exposure via food sources in four First Nation communities in Quebec, Canada
By Claudelle Dubeau, Amira Aker, Élyse Caron-Beaudoin, Pierre Ayotte, Caty Blanchette, Nancy Gros-Louis McHugh, and Mélanie Lemire
Public Health Nutr
March 31, 2022
DOI: 10.1017/S1368980022000581
Objective
To document perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) and bisphenol-A (BPA) exposure in four First Nation communities in northern Quebec compared to the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS Cycle 5 2016-2017) and examine the associations between dietary consumption and chemical exposure.
Design
We used cross-sectional data from the JES-YEH! project conducted in collaboration with four First Nation communities in 2015. A food frequency questionnaire collected information on diet, and PFAAs and BPA were measured in biological samples. We used generalized linear models to test the associations between food intake and chemical biomarkers.
Setting
Northern Quebec.
Participants
Youth aged 3-19years (n=198).
Results
Mean PFNA levels were significantly higher in JES-YEH! than CHMS and BPA levels were higher among those aged 12-19years compared to CHMS. Dairy products were associated with PFNA among Anishinabe and Innu participants [geometric mean ratio (GMR) 95% confidence intervals (95% CI): 1.53 (1.03-2.29) and 1.52 (1.05-2.20), respectively]. PFNA was also associated with ultra-processed foods [1.57 (1.07-2.31)] among Anishinabe, and with wild fish and berries [1.44 (1.07-1.94); 1.75 (1.30-2.36)] among Innu. BPA was associated with cheese [1.72 (1.19-2.50)] and milk [1.53 (1.02-2.29)] among Anishinabe, and with desserts [1.71 (1.07-2.74)], processed meats [1.55 (1.00-2.38)], wild fish [1.64 (1.07-2.49)] and wild berries [2.06 (1.37-3.10)] among Innu.
Conclusions
These results highlight the importance of better documenting food-processing and packaging methods, particularly for dairy products, and their contribution to endocrine disruptors exposures as well as to promote minimally processed and unpackaged foods to provide healthier food environments for youth in Indigenous communities and beyond.
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