Time trends of persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals in umbilical cord blood of inuit infants born in Nunavik (Quebec, Canada) between 1994 and 2001

Inuit inhabitants of Nunavik (northern Quebec, Canada) consume great quantities of marine food and are therefore exposed to high doses of food chain contaminants. In this study, we report the time trends of persistent organic pollutants, mercury, and lead in umbilical cord blood of infants from three communities of the east coast of Hudson Bay in Nunavik. We analyzed 251 cord blood samples collected from 1994 through 2001 for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyl. trichloroethane (DDT), dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethylene (DDE), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), chlordanes, lead, and mercury. Using an exponential model, we found strongly significant decreasing trends for PCBs (7.9% per year, p < 0.001), DDE (9.1% per year, p < 0.001), DDT (8.2% per year, p < 0.001), and HCB (6.6% per year, p < 0.01). No significant trends were detected for chlordanes. A significant reduction of lead and mercury concentrations was found, but there was no clear linear or exponential trend. The decreases observed could be explained by a decrease in food contamination, by changes in dietary habits, or, most likely, by a combination of both.