Contrasting trophic transfer patterns of cadmium and mercury in the Arctic marine food web of east Hudson Bay, Canada.

We investigated trophic transfer of cadmium (Cd) through an Arctic marine food web in Hudson Bay and compared it with mercury (Hg), a metal known to strongly biomagnify. We evaluated blue mussel, sea urchin, common eider, sculpin, Arctic cod, and ringed seal for the influence of dietary and biological variables on variation in Cd and Hg concentrations. Age and size influenced metal concentrations among individuals within a vertebrate species. Consumer carbon and sulfur isotope values were correlated with their Cd and Hg concentrations, indicating habitat-specific feeding influenced metal bioaccumulation. Trophic transfer patterns for Cd depended on the vertebrate tissue, with food web biodilution observed for the muscle but not the liver. Liver Cd concentrations were higher in ringed seal and some common eider relative to prey. In contrast, we observed mercury biomagnification for both tissues. Tissue- and species-specific physiology can explain discrepancies of Cd trophic transfer in this Arctic marine food web.

Culturally and contextually adaptive indicators of organizational success: Nunavik, Quebec.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop a preliminary guide to culturally and contextually relevant indicators to assess community resources in the 14 communities of the Inuit territory of Nunavik, Quebec. METHODS: As part of the Community Component of Qanuilirpitaa? of the 2017 Nunavik Health Survey, data were collected from 354 organizations located across Nunavik. Data were collected via short structured interviews with representatives of the organization. An inductive qualitative analysis was conducted to identify emerging themes describing the contexts that influence organizations, how key informants conceptualized what is a successful resource, and the facilitators and needs to achieving these indicators of success. Inuit partners were involved throughout the project to offer insight and to ascertain its pertinence and validity. RESULTS: Interviews revealed structural and community realities that influenced organizations. Three main indicators were used to describe successes: (1) team efficiency and dynamics; (2) accessibility of the resource; and (3) ability to impact clients and the community. The third indicator was by far the most discussed indicator of success. Participants and leaders offer suggestions as to how to achieve these indicators and advocate for the conditions necessary for organizational sustainability. CONCLUSION: This data-driven framework suggests that the measures of success that are frequently used by funding agencies (e.g., number of people reached, number of activities) may not fully represent the potential of local services in a given community. Indeed, services may be creating job opportunities for Inuit, instilling pride, offering cultural opportunities, and increasing capital (human, economic, health) within the community, all of which are equally important indicators of success that may more adequately further improve the social determinants of health among communities.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIF: Cette étude visait à élaborer un guide préliminaire d'indicateurs culturellement et contextuellement pertinents pour évaluer les ressources communautaires dans les 14 communautés du territoire inuit du Nunavik, au Québec. MéTHODES: Dans le cadre du volet communautaire de Qanuilirpitaa? de l'Enquête sur la santé au Nunavik de 2017, des données ont été recueillies auprès de 354 organisations situées dans tout le Nunavik. Les données ont été collectées via des entretiens courts et structurés avec des représentants de l'organisation. Une analyse qualitative inductive a été menée pour identifier les thèmes émergents décrivant les contextes qui influencent les organisations, la façon dont les informateurs clés ont conceptualisé ce qu'est une ressource réussie, ainsi que les facilitateurs et les besoins pour atteindre ces indicateurs de réussite. Des partenaires inuits ont été impliqués tout au long du projet afin d'offrir leur point de vue et d'en vérifier la pertinence et la validité. RéSULTATS: Les entrevues ont révélé des réalités structurelles et communautaires qui ont influencé les organisations. Trois indicateurs principaux ont été utilisés pour décrire les réussites : 1) l'efficacité et la dynamique de l'équipe; 2) l'accessibilité de la ressource; et 3) la capacité d'avoir un impact sur les clients et la communauté. Le troisième indicateur était de loin le plus discuté des indicateurs de succès. Les participants et les dirigeants offrent des suggestions sur la façon d'atteindre ces indicateurs et plaident en faveur des conditions nécessaires à la durabilité organisationnelle. CONCLUSION: Ce cadre axé sur les données suggère que les mesures de réussite fréquemment utilisées par les organismes de financement (par exemple, le nombre de personnes atteintes, le nombre d'activités) peuvent ne pas représenter pleinement le potentiel des services locaux dans une communauté donnée. En effet, les services peuvent créer des possibilités d'emploi pour les Inuit, susciter la fierté, offrir des possibilités culturelles et accroître le capital (humain, économique, santé) au sein de la communauté, autant d'indicateurs de réussite tout aussi importants qui peuvent contribuer de façon plus adéquate à améliorer les déterminants sociaux de la santé au sein des communautés.

Everyday ethics of participation: a case study of a CBPR in Nunavik.

INTRODUCTION: Multiple reports highlight the need for community-based family-oriented prevention services for Aboriginal peoples in order to address important health and social inequalities. Participatory, empowerment-based approaches are generally favoured for these means. Faced with important social issues, in a context of colonisation and complex power dynamics, we question how community members experience participation, as well as the everyday dynamics that take place when attempting to create community-level change. CONTEXT: The initial steps of this community-based participatory research (CBPR) took place over a two-year period in a community of Nunavik, a large northern region of the province of Quebec. The objective of the CBPR was to develop a community-driven project aimed at supporting families to be able to keep children within their homes or communities, rather than having to be placed under child welfare services. METHOD: We participated in, and documented, various group meetings, community workshops, informal reflexive discussions, and formal interviews with community partners to explore their everyday experiences of participation in community-based change. RESULTS: We describe some of the initial actions taken in this project. We describe how certain social and power dynamics infiltrated into the process of participation leading to various tensions, personal and interpersonal experiences and needs. DISCUSSION: We discuss how these experiences led to everyday ethical dilemmas regarding participation. We conclude that although participatory approaches towards community change may be effective, they are also ethically challenging and at times disempowering for those who participate. We describe some of the approaches used to work with these ethical challenges.

Rare earth elements in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems in the eastern Canadian Arctic.

Few ecotoxicological studies exist for rare earth elements (REEs), particularly field-based studies on their bioaccumulation and food web dynamics. REE mining has led to significant environmental impacts in several countries (China, Brazil, U.S.), yet little is known about the fate and transport of these contaminants of emerging concern. Northern ecosystems are potentially vulnerable to REE enrichment from prospective mining projects at high latitudes. To understand how REEs behave in remote northern food webs, we measured REE concentrations and carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios (∂15N, ∂13C) in biota from marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems of the eastern Canadian Arctic (N = 339). Wildlife harvesting and tissue sampling was partly conducted by local hunters through a community-based monitoring project. Results show that REEs generally follow a coherent bioaccumulation pattern for sample tissues, with some anomalies for redox-sensitive elements (Ce, Eu). Highest REE concentrations were found at low trophic levels, especially in vegetation and aquatic invertebrates. Terrestrial herbivores, ringed seal, and fish had low total REE levels in muscle tissue (∑REE for 15 elements <0.1 nmol g-1), yet accumulation was an order of magnitude higher in liver tissues. Age- and length-dependent REE accumulation also suggest that REE uptake is faster than elimination for some species. Overall, REE bioaccumulation patterns appear to be species- and tissue-specific, with limited potential for biomagnification. This study provides novel data on the behaviour of REEs in ecosystems and will be useful for environmental impact assessment of REE enrichment in northern regions.