National and Targeted Health-Based Monitoring Activities Under Canada’s Chemicals Management Plan

Julie YomeChemicals Surveillance BureauHealthy Environments and Consumer Safety BranchHealth Canada

Canadian Public Health Association 2012 ConferenceJune 13, 2012Edmonton, AB

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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 & Surveillance

Compliance, Promotion & Enforcement

Reporting, Communication & Cooperation

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Monitoring and Surveillance Activities Under the CMP

Theme 1: National Biomonitoring

Canadian Health Measures Survey

Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals

Northern Contaminants Program

First Nations Biomonitoring Initiative

Theme 2: Targeted Population Biomonitoring

Children’s exposure to lead

Plastics & personal care products in pregnancy

Arsenic in targeted geographic areas

Children’s exposure to phthalates in indoor air

Acrylamide exposure in adolescents

Theme 3: Biomonitoring Supportive Research

Biomonitoring equivalent development

Toxicokinetic modelling of pyrethroids

Dermal absorption studies

Analytical tools to biomonitor nanomaterials

Theme 4: Targeted Environmental Monitoring

Metals, pesticides, & flame retardants in house dust

National indoor air survey

Children’s dietary exposure to plasticizers

National drinking water survey

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Cycle 3Dates: Jan 2012 – Dec 2013Sites: 16Ages: 3-79 yrs (n = 5,700)Environmental chemicals: 95 (~40% new)

Cycle 4Dates: Jan 2014 – Dec 2015Sites: TBDAges: 3-79 yrs (n = 5,700)Environmental chemicals: 95 (same as Cycle 3)

Cycle 2Dates: Sept 2009 – Dec 2011Sites: 18Ages: 3-79 yrs (n = 6,300)Environmental chemicals: 94 (~60% new)

Cycle 2 report expected

Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS)

Cycle 1Dates: Mar 2007 – Feb 2009Sites: 15Ages: 6-79 yrs (n = 5,600)Environmental chemicals: 91

Cycle 1 biomonitoring report published

2007 20092008 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Timeline

National health survey that collects information 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

• Health questionnaire (home interview)• Direct measurements (mobile examination centre)

PartnersStatistics Canada Health Canada Public Health Agency of Canada

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Biomonitoring Substances

CYCLE 2

CYCLE 3

CYCLE 1

Metals & Trace ElementsEnvironmental PhenolsCurrent Use Pesticides

Smoking StatusPerfluorinated Compounds

PhthalatesChlorophenols

Organochlorines & POPsPCBs

CYCLE 2

Flame Retardants

CYCLE 3PAHs

Benzene MetabolitesDioxins/Furans

VOCsAcrylamide

Organochlorines & POPsPCBs

Flame Retardants

CYCLE 2 CYCLES 3 & 4CYCLE 1

Parabens

Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS)

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Blood Lead Levels in Canadians (2007-2009)CHMS CYCLE 1

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Geometric Mean and 95th

Percentile

95th

Perc

entil

e

M F6-11

M F40-59

M F60-79

Canada Health Survey

1978-1979

Age (years)M F20-39

M F12-19

Geo

met

ric m

ean

bloo

d le

ad c

once

ntra

tion

(μg/

dL)

M+F6-79

M+F6-79

Canadian Health Measures Survey 2007-2009

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Blood Total Mercury Levels in Canadians (2007-2009)

* Legrand et al. 2010

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101112131415161718192021

Geo

met

ric

mea

n bl

ood

mer

cury

con

cent

ratio

n (μ

g/L)

Age (years)6-186-15

MF19-7950-79

MF16-49

F

Blood guidance level for general adult population (20 μg/L)

Proposed blood guidance level (8 μg/L) for children and women of childbearing age*

Geometric Mean and 95th

Percentile

Geo

met

ric m

ean

bloo

d m

ercu

ry c

once

ntra

tion

(μg/

L)

95th

Perc

entil

e

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CHMS CYCLE 1

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Objectives

• To assess what pregnancy health risks, if any, are associated with exposure to heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury)

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

• To establish time-trends for concentrations of environmental chemicals in human milk

Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals

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National biomonitoring study of pregnant women and their infants

Principal InvestigatorsTye Arbuckle, Health CanadaWilliam Fraser, Université de Montréal

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MIREC Study Design

• A national-level pregnancy cohort:• Data collection: 2009-2012• Results expected in 2013

• 2,000 pregnant women and their infants recruited during 1st trimester and followed until 8 weeks after delivery

• 10 clinical sites across Canada

Design

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Northern Contaminants Program (NCP)

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,

emerging flame retardants, 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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PCB 153 concentrations (µg/kg plasma lipid) in the blood of mothers from three Canadian Arctic Regions

Maternal Blood Contaminant Levels in Arctic Canada

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For Additional Information

Human Biomonitoring

of Environmental Chemicalswww.healthcanada.gc.ca/biomonitoring

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

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

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

Julie YomeChemicals Surveillance BureauHealthy Environments and Consumer Safety BranchHealth CanadaOttawa, CanadaTelephone: (613) 960-1790Email: julie.yome@hc-sc.gc.ca

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