Persistent organochlorine pesticide exposure related to a formerly used defense site on St. Lawrence Island, Alaska: data from sentinel fish and human sera

摘要: St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, is the largest island in Bering Sea, located 60 km from Siberia. The home to approximately 1600 Island Yupik residents who live a subsistence way of life. Two formerly used defense sites (FUDS) exist on island, one which, Northeast Cape, has been subject $123 million cleanup effort. Environmental monitoring demonstrates localized soil and watershed contamination with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), organochlorine (OC) pesticides, mercury, arsenic. This study examined whether Cape FUDS source exposure OC pesticides. In total, 71 serum samples were collected during site remediation volunteers represented three geographic regions island. addition, ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) Alaska blackfish (Dallia pectoralis) after assess continuing presence Chlordane compounds, DDT mirex, hexachlorobenzene (HCB) most prevalent present at highest concentrations both fish tissues human samples. After controlling for age gender, activities near associated an increase HCB as compared farthest village site. Positive but nonsignificant relationships sum-chlordane sum-DDT also found. Organochlorine did not show clear trends, appear elevated other Alaska. Taken together, data suggest that local environment may select persistent