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UNDERSTANDING THE CUMULATIVE AFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND PSYCHO-SOCIAL STRESSORS THAT THREATEN THE POHLIK-LAH AND NER-ER-NER LIFEWAY: THE YUROK TRIBE’S APPROACH

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Description:

First, this project compiled potential chemical/toxin contaminants that might contribute as risk factors to humans in the project’s research area and then sought to correlate them with established negative health outcomes within the Tribal Membership. Outcomes include:

  1. The reasonable expectation that at least some of the naturally occurring high mineral content of the geologic background of the Yurok Territory, combined with the steep slope topography and heavy rainfall allows the bedrock to be potentially eroded and transported into both ground and surface waters and potentially transferred to the local biota. Of the minerals included for laboratory analysis, those with detection levels of concern include fresh water mussels with 557 ppb of manganese; sturgeon skin with 20 ppb of chromium; and aluminum in the Spring flows of Klamath River water with detections peaking at 217 ppb, well above double the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Aquatic Life Protection Criteria of 87 ppb.
  2. In general, the Yurok Reservation experiences clean air throughout the majority of the year due to limited industrial releases, and regulated parameters generally fall below the national averages; however, a principal threat to air quality exists in emissions from burning. These emissions in residential areas primarily consist of wood stoves and open burning of yard and household wastes; however, the recurring, excessive particulate releases from wildfires have the greatest potential as contributing factors to at least some of the adverse health effects reported.
  3. Regional impacts from anthropogenic activities include the 303(d) listing for impairment of the Kalmath Reiver in both temperature and nutrients, with the subsequent production of blue-green algae’s toxin microcystin. Routine surface water monitoring data document detections of microcystins on average 7 weeks each year, during the last 5 years (2009-2013) exceeded levels above which adverse health effects could occur through incidental recreational exposure levels set by California Environmental Protection Agency, California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), and California's Office of Environmental Health and Hazard Assessment (OEHHA). Water testing during this project utilized an equal interval, integrated depth method to characterize toxin levels present in a cross section of the entire river column and supplement and substantiate that microcystin levels exceeded California’s Recommended Action Level 0f 0.8 μg/L at all three sites sampled during September and October of 2010 with detections of 2.9, 1.66, and 1.61 μg/L. In addition to the risk of microcystin exposure in the Klamath River surface waters, this project’s tissue sampling demonstrates the potential that consumption of the traditional subsistence food, freshwater mussels had detections of 64.2 ng/g of microcystin-LA that has the potential to add to the cumulative total toxic burden of microcystins that Tribal members may experience through an ingestion pathway.
  4. Tissue testing of more than 220 toxins and metabolites from 12 broad families/categories that were targeted in this project for laboratory analysis of subsistence species and Klamath River water returned positive results for biotoxins, dioxins, organochlorines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pyrethroids, and trace metals. These add to the cumulative impacts to Tribal Members through the ingestion exposure route. In general, detections were low with exceptions to five contaminant groups below that exceed current public health or water quality criteria limits:
    • Microcystins in Fall flows of Klamath River water and fresh water mussels;
    • Total PAHs in four species (Fall run Chinook salmon, Coho, lamprey, and razor clams);
    • PCBs in whale blubber (comparing it to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) levels in red meat);
    • Pesticide residue in whale blubber (comparing it to FDA levels in red meat); and
    • Select trace metals (aluminum in Klamath River Spring flows and manganese in fresh water mussels).
  5. In total, 2,677 Yurok enrolled members’ health records and diagnoses that were reported in the United Indian Health Service data during a single 5-year window were searched for occurrences and rates of specific adverse health outcomes associated with known contaminants and toxins present in the Yurok Ancestral Territory. While no direct link between contaminant exposure and occupancy due to patient confidentiality can be made, this project represents 98% of the local bi-county, Yurok population and gives a comprehensive and representational snap shot of the local Yurok Tribal Members’ health at the community level. As reported in the project’s stand-alone brochure, The Yurok Community Environmental Health Profile, Tribal members are potentially being impacted by four adverse health outcomes that have indications of being above national rates.
  • Overall cancer rate was greater than three times the national rate for other American Indians/Alaskan Natives (AIAN) and 40% greater than the rate for all races combined;
  • Diabetes rates were comparable to other AIAN national rates that are approximately three times the general population;
  • Proteinuria, often a precursor of chronic kidney disease, was found at rates over double the national average; and
  • Perinatal outcomes of spontaneous abortion and fetal malformation were great enough to be of concern to the epidemiological research staff but there is no consensus in the perinatal field as to when spontaneous abortion, miscarriage, or stillbirth should be used for diagnosis coding. This makes comparisons with National data impossible due to data inconsistencies.

Record Details:

Record Type:PROJECT( ABSTRACT )
Start Date:07/01/2008
Completion Date:12/31/2012
Record ID: 201185