Levels and trends of contaminants in humans of the Arctic

Figures & data

Table I. Concentrations of POPs and metals in Yup'ik maternal blood from Alaska

	1999–2003	2004–2006	2009–2012
Mean age sample size	26 (n=106)	26.4 (n=206)	26.5 (n=156)
trans-Nonachlor	5.3	21 (1.8–310)	9.9 (<LOD–107)
HCB	14	22 (2.4–188)	15.9 (2.7–98.8)
PCB153	17	24 (0.8–416)	14.8 (1.5–148)
PBDE47	na	26 (1.2–455)	19.8 (2.4–395)
PBDE99	na	6.3 (0.2–1,359)	4.5 (<LOD–186)
Mean age sample size	25 (n=43)	25 (n=75)	26.5 (n=160)
Total Hg	1.1	5	2.2
Pb	11	18	7.4
Cd	0.6	0.4	0.2
Se	na	na	181

Data presented as geometric means (range), calculated for the specified period of sampling, in µg/kg plasma lipid (PCBs and PBDEs), µg/L plasma (PFCs) or µg/L whole blood (metals). PBDE, polybrominated diphenyl ethers.

Table II. Blood concentrations of POPs and metals in men and women across the Canadian Arctic

	Inuvialuit Settlement Region		Nunavut		Nunavik		Nunatsiavut
	Men	Women	Men	Women	Men	Women	Men	Women
	2007–2008		2007–2008		2004		2007–2008
Mean age (range)	46.2 (18–81)	42.6 (18–90)	42.2 (18–89)	40.7 (18–90)	37.0 (18–74)	37.3 (18–74)	45.7 (18–89)	43.4 (20–79)
Sample size (n)	92	187	650	977	408	506	98	165
p,p’-DDE	466 (9.4–8,189)	238 (13–3,251)	414 (1.4–4,337)	282 (1.5–7,727)	460 (13–7,000)	470 (27–8,300)	190 (18.9–2,834)	150 (13.1–2,789)
PCB153	148 (1.9–2,730)	62 (0.8–4,408)	195 (0.7–5,747)	106 (0.8–6,181)	190 (6.3–3,400)	160 (5.7–5,800)	112 (1.3–1,622)	61 (2.2–1,291)
Total Hg	5.6 (0.3–50)	4.1 (0.1–55)	9.4 (0.1–110)	7.9 (0.1–130)	9.2 (0.1–240)	12 (0.2–160)	4.2 (0.2–50)	2.8 (0.1–25)
Pb	44.5 (8.1–220)	27.6 (4.5–190)	46.1 (7.4–380)	32.2 (5.1–400)	46 (9.1–500)	34 (5.8–310)	40.1 (8.4–170)	22.4 (5.6–160)
Se	317 (160–1,300)	293 (150–1,200)	348 (130–2,800)	342 (85–2,500)	280 (130–3,500)	300 (120–2,400)	233 (150–1,500)	204 (140–960)

Data presented as geometric means (range), in lipid weight (µg/kg plasma lipid) for POPs and (µg/L whole blood) for metals.

Table III. Time series of POPs and metals concentrations in pregnant Inuit women from Nunavik, Canada

	2004	2012	2013
Mean age (range)	27 (18–42)	24 (18–39)	24 (18–41)
Sample size (n)	31	112	95
PFOS	9.8 (3.1–20)	3.9 (0.7–23)	na
PFOA	na	0.7 (0.2–2.4)	na
Total Hg	7.6 (1.2–30)	5.0 (0.2–40)	5.2 (0.3–32)
Pb	19 (5.8–85)	13 (2.7–230)	14 (4.2–62)
Se	270 (130–700)	320 (120–3,000)	300 (130–1,400)

Data presented as geometric means (range), in µg/L whole blood.

Table IV. Concentrations of PCBs and OCs (µg/kg plasma lipid) and metals (µg/L whole blood) among Inuit men and women in Greenland by age groups (years)

	24 (18–29)		41 (30–49)		61(<50)
Mean age (range)	Men	Women	Men	Women	Men	Women
trans-Nonachlor	141 (7.6–820)	108 (11–940)	373 (9.8–5,000)	239 (5.0–1,500)	797 (12–3,500)	695 (31–4,000)
p,p’-DDE	559 (36–3,000)	444 (69–3,100)	1067 (97–16,000)	832 (10–6,600)	1816 (70–10,000)	1847 (130–27,000)
HCB	76.5 (10–360)	69.5 (13–490)	174 (8.0–2,300)	145 (6.0–910)	368 (13–1,800)	391 (36–1,700)
PCB153	253 (13–1,800)	170 (28–1,400)	545 (50–7,700)	382 (7.5–2,600)	1048 (54–4,600)	997 (93–6,700)
Total Hg	7.8 (0.1–160)	8.3 (0.1–120)	17 (0.4–490)	12.9 (0.1–230)	28.3 (0.1–400)	22.1 (0.1–320)
Se	188 (70–2,600)	203 (84–1,600)	280 (77–4,800)	266 (68–4,800)	352 (82–5,600)	374 (71–4,400)

Data presented as geometric means (range). Data from the Inuit Health in Transition study, 2005–2010 (14,15).

Table V. Concentrations of POPs and metals in pregnant women from different regions in Greenland for 2010–2011 and 2013

	North	Disko Bay	West	South	East
Mean age (range)	28 (21–35)	27 (19–40)	27 (17–44)	28 (21–41)	33 (31–37)
No. individuals measured	n=15	n=45	n=118	n=13	n=3
trans-Nonachlor	85.1 (7.6–320)	57.7 (12–220)	35.2 (4.9–400)	41.2 (15–110)	184 (130–320)
p,p’-DDE	221 (18–990)	148 (35–430)	112 (16–1,100)	135 (39–430)	587 (300–1,300)
HCB	40.1 (5.8–130)	31.9 (13–100)	21.9 (6.4–170)	24.4 (10–41)	62.8 (47–110)
PCB153	99.2 (8.9–950)	62.4 (17–210)	53.7 (11–400)	63.1 (23–180)	288 (160–680)
PFOS	15.8 (4.7–50.7)	12 (3.7–32.8)	9.8 (2.5–61.3)	7.8 (3.2–18)	15.8 (6.1–26.5)
	n=14	n=49	n=121	n=15	n=3
Total Hg	8.0 (2.0–50)	4.0 (1.0–10)	3.1 (0–70)	4.0 (0.2–16)	7.0 (3.0–16)
Pb	7.0 (1.0–40)	7.0 (2.0–30)	7.0 (1.0–50)	7.0 (3.0–30)	6.0 (1.0–20)
Cd	0.5 (0–4.0)	1.0 (0–10)	0.9 (0–7.4)	1.1 (0–4.5)	0.7 (0–0.7)
Se	160 (60–1,040)	110 (60–360)	120 (40–2,660)	110 (70–250)	140 (90–190)

Data presented as geometric means (range). Data from the ACCEPT project. PCBs, OCs and PBDEs in µg/kg plasma lipid. PFCs in µg/L serum. Metals in µg/L whole blood (16).

Table VI. Trends in blood concentrations of POPs (µg/kg plasma lipid) in pregnant Icelandic women in their third trimester

	Reykjavik	All Iceland	All Iceland	Reykjavik
	1995	1999	2004	2009
Mean age (range)	30 (18–41)	28.7 (20–42)	30.3 (20–40)	30.4 (21–43)
Sample size, mean parity	n=40; p=1.9	n=39; p=1.9	n=40; p=1.8	n=33; p=1.7
trans-Nonachlor	12 (3.8–50)	15 (6.4–47)	7.1 (1.3–29)	6.7 (3.6–15.5)
p,p’-DDE	113 (42–514)	100 (33–306)	54 (19–226)	36 (12.1–139)
PCB153	68 (26–158)	60 (24–143)	40 (19–98)	34 (18–108)
PBDE47	–	–	–	1.7 (<1.3–21)
PBDE99	–	–	–	<1.3 (<1.3–3.7)
PBDE100	–	–	–	<1.3 (<1.3–5.0)
PBDE153	–	–	–	<1.3 (<1.3–3.9)
PFOS	–	–	–	6.2 (4.2–13)^a
PFOA	–	–	–	4.8 (1.4–40)^a

Data presented as geometric means (range). Lipid normalization of data in 1999 and 2004 based on average lipid concentrations from 1995. PFOS and PFOA in µg/L plasma.

^an=10. For statistical purposes, values <1.3 (the limit of detection, LOD) were replaced by LOD/2. PBDE, polybrominated diphenyl ethers.

Table VII. Time series of blood POPs concentrations from the Faroe Islands Cohort 1 (1986–1987)

	1986–1987	1993–1994	2000–2001	2008–2009
Mean age (range)	Cord blood	6.9 (6.3–8.3)	13.8 (12.8–15.2)	22.1 (20.9–23.7)
Sample size	n=1,022	n=922	n=792	n=849
p,p’-DDE	270 (4.2–4,487)	–	468 (25.4–8,050)	122 (5.4–3,257)
PCB153	130 (0.3–1,127)	–	–	93 (8.2–1,006)
PFOS	–	31.1 (7.2–96.9)	–	–
PFOA	–	5.4 (1.3–17.3)	–	–
Total Hg	22.3 (0.9–350)	8.4 (0.1–62.8)	4.1 (0.3–39.8)	2.5 (0.1–46.3)
Pb	15.8 (1.0–110)	–	–	–

All participants are Faroese children born between 1986 and 1987. Data presented as geometric means (range). POPs in µg/kg plasma lipid. PFCs and metals in µg/L whole blood.

Table VIII. Time series of blood POPs concentrations from the Faroe Islands Cohort 3 (1998–2000)

	1998–2000	2000–2001	2002–2005	2005–2007	2011–2012
	Mothers	Children	Children	Children	Children
Mean age (range)	28 (16–44)	1.5 (1.3–1.8)	5.0 (4.8–5.2)	7.5 (7.0–7.9)	13.2 (12.6–14.3)
Sample size	n=475	n=115	n=555	n=498	n=526
p,p’-DDE	538 (43.1–11,414)	613 (68–10,265)	476 (38.1–6,631)	270 (20–4,190)	92.8 (1.5–2,738)
PCB153	274 (36.7–320)	–	257 (17.6–2,162)	152 (6.7–3,223)	86 (1.6–924)
PFOS	27.4 (9.4–68.8)^a	–	16.7 (3.3–48.2)	15.3 (5.6–35.5)	6.6 (1.0–16.6)
PFOA	3.2 (0.8–8.4)^a	–	4.1 (0.8–15.4)	4.5 (1.7–19.2)	2.0 (0.6–6.1)
Total Hg	12.4 (1.6–193)^b	–	2.6 (0.0001–36.5)	2.0 (0.1–58)	–
Pb	–	–	–	6.2 (0.02–47.7)	–

All participants were Faroese women with their children born between 1998 and 2000. Data presented as geometric means (range). POPs in µg/kg plasma lipid. PFCs and metals in µg/L whole blood. ^aMean age (range)=30.2 (16.7–43.2), n=618; ^bCord blood.

Table IX. Time series of blood POPs concentrations from the Faroe Islands Cohort 2 (1994–1995)

	1994–1995	2001–2002
	Mothers	Children
Mean age (range)	28 (16–44)	7.5 (7.4–7.8)
Sample size	n=182	n=158
p,p’-DDE	725 (201–8,038)	–
PCB153	265 (10–3,933)	176 (11.6–1,032)
Total Hg	21 (1.9–102)^a	3.2 (0.1–22.1)
Pb	10.4 (1.2–41.4)^a	–

All participants were Faroese women with their children born between 1994 and 1995. Data presented as geometric means (range). POPs in µg/kg plasma lipid. Metals in µg/L whole blood.

^aCord blood.

Table X. Time series of blood POPs concentrations from the Faroe Islands Cohort 5 (2007–2009)

	2007–2009	2009–2011
	Mothers	Children
Mean age (range)	30.7 (17.2–49.4)	1.5 (1.4–1.7)
Sample size	n=500	n=363
p,p’-DDE	131 (6.0–1,517)	180 (15–4,414)
PCB153	91.2 (1.0–694)	105 (15–1,214)
PFOS	–	6.5 (1.4–28.3)
PFOA	–	2.9 (0.5–22.5)
Total Hg	4.6 (0.8–44.5)^a	1.4 (0.1–21.3)

All participants were Faroese women with their children born between 2007 and 2009. Data presented as geometric means (range). POPs in µg/kg plasma lipid. PFCs and metals in µg/L whole blood. ^aCord blood.

Table XI. Concentrations of PCBs and OCs in pregnant women (early pregnancy) from northern Norway (mean parity=0.9 (0–4))

	2006–2008
Mean age (range)	30.6 (18–43)
Sample size	n=515
trans-Nonachlor	2.8 (0.6–17.6)
p,p’-DDE	38.7 (10.9–351)
HCB	9.6 (3.5–53.3)
PCB153	24.8 (5.3–201)
Total Hg	1.2 (0.1–6.6)
Pb	7.4 (2.2–25.8)^a
Cd	0.2 (0.04–2.7)
Se	84.7 (58.2–128)^b

Data presented as geometric means (range), in µg/kg plasma lipid. Average values presented for compounds with detection frequencies ≥70%.

^an=280; ^bn=281.

Table XII. Serum concentrations of PFCs (µg/L) in the northern Norway MISA study group (mean parity=0.9 (0–4))

Mean age (range)	31 (18–43)
Sample size	n=391
	Median	Mean (range)
ΣPFOS	8.0	8.8 (0.3–35.8)
PFOS linear	4.7	5.1 (<LOD–19.1)
PFOS branched	3.4	3.7 (<LOD–18.2)
PFOA	1.5	1.7 (0.3–11)
PFNA	0.6	0.7 (0.2–4.4)
PFDA	0.2	0.3 (0.05–2.3)

Data show arithmetic mean (range) for PFCs with detection frequencies greater than 50%.

Fig. 1.  Trends in POPs concentrations in breast milk samples from Swedish first-time mothers (µg/kg lipid). Samples were collected 3 weeks after delivery. Data are presented as median concentrations (34).

Fig. 2.  Trends in PFC concentrations (µg/kg pooled serum) in blood samples from nursing Swedish first-time mothers; blood samples were taken 3 weeks after delivery. Three pools per year were analysed, with serum from 5 to 25 individuals in each data pool. Data are presented as geometric means (33,34).

Table XIII. Median concentrations of Hg in blood (µg/L) in pregnant women in northern, western and southern Sweden

	Year	Sample size	Age (median)	Hg	MeHg	Fish (≥once/week) (%)
Västerbotten (North)	2003–2004	96	28	0.6	0.5	38
Gothenburg and Lysekil (West)	2001–2002	99	30	1.2	0.7	62
Hässleholm and Simrishamn (South)	2002–2003	100	30	0.6	0.3	50

Table XIV. Trends of contaminants in breast milk from first-time mothers in southern Finland (non-Arctic), central Finland (non-Arctic) and northern Finland (Arctic)

	1987	1993–1994	2000	2005	2010
Southern Finland
Mean age (range)	26.9 (20–37)	27.9 (19–36)	29.2 (22–35)	28.7 (20–39)	31.2 (19–37)
Sample size	47	14	29	39	32
PCB153	113 (47.8–373)	85.2 (24.3–148)	38.7 (14.6–80.7)	24.8 (9.2–80)	22 (7.8–54.1)
PBDE^a	–	–	2.9 (0.8–16)	2.3 (0.6–31.8)	1.3 (0.3–4.9)
Central Finland
Mean age (range)	25.4 (19–34)	27 (18–39)	28.3 (19–36)	27.3 (19–40)	30.2 (19–36)
Sample size	37	28	31	40	19
PCB153	92.5 (38.9–209)	52.4 (18.2–110)	30.5 (10.5–72.7)	17.9 (4.8–65.1)	16.3 (7.2–50.3)
PBDE^a	–	–	3.1 (0.6–13.5)	2.2 (0.5–11.3)	1.6 (0.5–6.6)
Northern Finland
Mean age (range)				26.3 (21–41)	27.3 (20–32)
Sample size				11	20
PCB153	–	–	–	19 (9.3–50.9)	18.7 (6.8–58.1)
PBDE^a	–	–	–	2.5 (1.4–6.3)	1.6 (0.6–3.8)

Data presented as geometric means (range) in µg/kg lipid. (40,41; Kiviranta, personal communication, 2014). ^aPBDE47+PBDE99+PBDE100+PBDE153+PBDE209. PBDE, polybrominated diphenyl ethers.

Table XV. Maternal, cord and child blood concentrations of metals from coastal Chukotka, Russia (2001–2002 and 2007)

	Maternal (n=17)		Cord (n=17)	Child (n=17)
	2001–2002	2007	2001–2002	2007
Mean age (range)	24.6 (15–33)			5.5
Total Hg	1.6 (0.5–3.9)	1.6 (0.5–4.8)	1.4 (0.5–3.3)	0.9 (0.5–2.7)
Pb	37.5 (18.3–76.8)	29.6 (4.9–137)	37.6 (14.3–78.3)	38.2 (6.9–102)

Data presented as geometric means (range) in µg/L whole blood.

Table XVI. Concentrations of POPs in pregnant women, non-pregnant women and men in the Pechenga District of Murmansk Oblast, 2013–2014

	Pregnant women	Non-pregnant women	Men
Geometric mean age (range)	28.2 (16–41)	44.2 (26–65)	39.2 (27–54)
Sample size	50	17	33
p,p’-DDE	102 (16–1,221)	141 (39.4–538)	167 (51.6–940)
HCB	18.2 (5.3–252)	33.3 (12.8–85.1)	40.6 (10.9–189)
PCB153	12.2 (1.3–56.7)	27.5 (8.5–61)	47.9 (21.6–141)

Data from the KolArctic Project (KO467). Data lipid-adjusted (µg/kg plasma lipid) and presented as geometric means (range), including age.

Fig. 3.  Circumpolar concentrations of PBDEs, PFOS, PCB153, p,p’-DDE, Hg and Pb. Unless otherwise indicated, POPs and PBDEs are presented in µg/kg plasma lipid, PFCs in µg/L and metals in µg/L whole blood. Data for Alaska, Faroe Islands, Sweden (except metals) and coastal Chukotka (Russia) are derived from maternal blood. Data for the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (NWT, Canada), Nunavut (Canada) and Nunatsiavut (NL, Canada) are derived from the blood of women of childbearing age. Data for Nunavik (QC, Canada), Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden (metals only) and the Pechenga district (Russia) are derived from the blood of pregnant women. Data for Sweden (PBDE47, PCB153 and p,p’-DDE) and Finland are derived from breast milk.

Table XVII. Concentrations of selected contaminants across Arctic countries, compared with biomonitoring in non-Arctic areas

	USA^a	CAN^b	GRL^a,c	ISL^a	FRO^a	NOR^a	SWE	FIN	RUS	CHMS	NHANES
DDE	82.7	130^a	587	36	131	38.7	34^d,e	–	102^a	102^f	241^g
PCB 153	14.8	40^a	288	34	91.2	24.8	24^d,e	18.7^d	12.2^a	8.2^f	19.7^g
PBDE 47	19.8	<LOD^a	2.4	1.7	–	–	0.4^d,e	1.6^d,h	–	10.8^f	19.6^g
PBDE 99	4.5	<LOD	1.3	<1.3	–	–	–	1.6^d,h	–	N/C^i	N/C^i
PFOS	2.2	3.9^a	15.8	6.2	–	8.0^e	6.7^f	–	–	4.4^f	7.6^g
Hg	2.2	5.2^a	7.0	–	–	1.2	0.6^a,e	–	1.6^f	0.7^f	0.7^g
Pb	7.4	14^a	6.0	–	–	7.4	10^e,f	–	29.6^f	8.5^f	8.4^g
Se	181	300^a	140	–	–	84.7	–	–	–	190^f	188^g

Data presented as geometric means, in blood of pregnant women or WCBA, except for DDE and PCB153 in Sweden and Finland which are levels in breast milk. POPs presented in µg/kg plasma lipid and metals in µg/L whole blood. CHMS, Canadian Health Measures Survey; NHANES, US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. ^aPregnant women; ^bNunavik; ^cEastern Greenland; ^ddata are for breast milk from first-time mothers (g/kg lipid); ^emedian value; ^fWCBA; ^gdata for all females, ages 12+ years; ^hPBDE47 and PBDE99 results combined with other PBDEs; ⁱgeometric mean not calculated as proportion of results below detection limit was too high to provide a valid result.

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