12.1 Yome

Overview of Human Biomonitoring Initiatives Under the Government of Canada’s Chemicals Management Plan

Julie YomeChemicals Surveillance BureauHealthy Environments and Consumer Safety BranchHealth Canada

International Symposium on Biological Monitoring September 10, 2013

Manchester, UK

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Chemicals Management Plan

Risk Assessment

Risk Management

Research

In 2006, the Government of Canada launched the Chemicals Management Plan (CMP) to advance and improve the management of chemical substances and safeguard the health of Canadians

Monitoring & SurveillanceMonitoring & Surveillance

Compliance, Promotion & Enforcement

Reporting, Communication & Cooperation

Northern Contaminants Program (4 regions)

National Biomonitoring Programs

First Nations Biomonitoring Initiative (13 communities from 5 eco-zones)

2 sites

3 sites

4 sites

2 sites

2 sites

Canadian Health Measures SurveyCycle 1 – 15 sites (2007-2009)

1

1 1

1

1

111

1

1

1

1

1 1

1

Cycle 2 – 18 sites (2009-2011)

2

22

222

22

2

2

2

22

22

2

2

2

Cycle 3 – 16 sites (2012-2013)

3

3

3

3

3

33

3

3

3

33

3

33

3

Cycle 4 – 16 sites (2014-2015)

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4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

44

Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (10 sites)

Other studies:• Targeted population

biomonitoring• Biomonitoring

supportive research• Targeted

environmentalmonitoring

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Partners:Statistics Canada Health Canada Public Health Agency of Canada

National survey on the general health and lifestyles of Canadians to provide information on chronic and infectious disease, physical fitness, nutrition, and other factors that influence health – includes a biomonitoring component

Canadian Health Measures Survey

Design• Cross-sectional survey carried out in 2 year cycles• Age groups: 3-5, 6-11, 12-19, 20-39, 40-59, 60-79 years• Nationally representative of 96% of the Canadian

population

Household Component• Interview• Indoor air (≥ cycle 2) and tap water (≥ cycle 3) sampling

Mobile Examination Centre Component• Direct physical measures, including blood and urine

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2007 20092008 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

CHMS Milestones

Cycle 1 biomonitoring report (August 2010)

Cyc

le 1 Mar 2007 – Feb 2009

15 sites6-79 years (n = 5,600)92 chemicals

Cycle 2 biomonitoring report (April 2013)

Cyc

le 2 Aug 2009 – Nov 201118 sites3-79 years (n = 6,400)91 chemicals

Cyc

le 3 Jan 2012 – Dec 2013

16 sites3-79 years (n = 5,700)105 chemicals

Cyc

le 4

Jan 2014 – Dec 201516 sites3-79 years (n = 5,700)same chemicals as Cycle 3

Cycle 3 biomonitoring data to be published (May 2015)

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First Nations Biomonitoring Initiative

The FNBI is a national human biomonitoring health survey for First Nations people living on reserve (south of 60o) conducted in 2011

Objectives• Establish baseline information on environmental chemicals in

First Nations across Canada• Compare exposure levels of First Nations’ peoples with the

CHMS populationPartnership between Health Canada & the Assembly of First Nations

Survey Design• 13 randomly selected First Nation communities across Canada• Over 500 randomly selected participants (40-45 per community)• Participants - First Nation living on reserve, 20+ years old• 97 chemicals measured – align with CHMS cycle 1

Components• Lifestyle questionnaire• Direct physical measurements (e.g., weight, BMI, blood

pressure, etc.)• Biospecimen collection (blood and urine)

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Northern Contaminants Program

Key Objectives• Reduce/eliminate contaminants in traditional/country

foods• Support informed decision making on food use for

individuals and communities

Approach• Government/stakeholder partnership• Biomonitoring studies over several years in various

Canadian Arctic communities• Focus on metals (Pb, Cd, Hg, etc.) and persistent

organic pollutants (PCBs, PBDEs, etc.)

Established in 1991 in response to concerns about human exposure to elevated levels of contaminants in wildlife species important to traditional diets of northern Aboriginal peoples

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Primary Objectives

• Assess what pregnancy health risks, if any, are associated with exposure to heavy metals (e.g., lead, mercury, etc)

• Obtain baseline data on maternal and neonatal exposure to priority environmental chemicals (via biomonitoring)

Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC)

Principal InvestigatorsTye Arbuckle, Health CanadaWilliam Fraser, Université de Montréal

Study Design• 2,000 pregnant women recruited during 1st trimester and

followed until 8-10 weeks after delivery • 10 clinical sites across Canada• Data collection: 2008-2011• First results expected: 2013• Biobank established

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MIREC-ID• Follow-up on infant development at birth and 6 months of age to evaluate whether

prenatal exposure to environmental chemicals had any effect on infant growth, development, and behaviour

MIREC Research Platform

MIREC-CD Plus • Follow-up on child development between 15 months to 5 years of age• Assess exposure to metals (in blood of children < 3 years of age), and measure growth,

development, and behaviour

MIREC-CD3• Follow-up on child development at 3 years of age• Online survey to collect data on potential links between prenatal exposures, language,

and behaviour

Biobank• Established to store biospecimens and data for future research

Arbuckle et al. 2013. Cohort profile: the maternal-infant research on environmental chemicals research platform. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2013 Jul;27(4):415-25.

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SELECTED RESULTS

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Blood Total Mercury - CHMS Cycles 1 & 2Blood guidance level for general adult population (20 μg/L)

Proposed blood guidance level (8 μg/L) for children and women of childbearing age (Legrand et al. 2010)

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Mercury – CHMS Cycle 1 compared to FNBI

*

* Data should be used with caution – COV between 16.6% and 33.3%

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Mercury - Northern Contaminants ProgramTotal mercury concentrations (µg/L whole blood) in pregnant

women in Arctic Canada

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Mercury - Women of Child-Bearing Age Exceeding 8µg/L

2.2% 2.7%

20%

1.9%

Down from 10% in 1997

Down from 53% in 1997

Differences between populations

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PCB 153 – CHMS Cycle 1 compared to FNBI

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PCB 153 concentrations (µg/kg plasma lipid) in pregnant women in Arctic Canada

PCB153 - Northern Contaminants Program

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Mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP)

CHMS Cycles 1 & 2 compared to FNBI

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For Additional Information

Human Biomonitoring of Environmental Chemicalswww.healthcanada.gc.ca/biomonitoring

Canadian Health Measures Surveywww.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/contaminants/human-humaine/chms-ecms-eng.php

Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicalswww.mirec-canada.cawww.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/contaminants/human-humaine/mirec-eng.php

Northern Contaminants Programwww.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/ncp

First Nations Biomonitoring Initiativewww.afn.ca/uploads/files/afn_fnbi_en_-_2013-06-26.pdf

Other Canadian Health Monitoring and Surveillance Initiativeswww.chemicalsubstanceschimiques.gc.ca/plan/surveil/index-eng.php

Julie YomeHealthy Environments and Consumer Safety BranchHealth CanadaOttawa, CanadaTelephone: (613) [email protected]