Environmental mercury and human health in Arctic Norway

Persistent pollutants in Arctic areas have received much attention. It is well known that these contaminants accumulate in food webs and potentially cause severe physiological damages to top level predators including humans. People in Arctic regions tend to be more exposed to these pollutants due to their high intake of wild fish and animals. The project will conduct an interdisciplinary survey of environmental sensitivity and human vulnerability to mercury (Hg) in a population group in Arctic Norway. Amo ng the wide range of contaminants found in food items of that region, the presence of Hg frequently sets the consumption limits for fish. Surprisingly little knowledge exists on the role of Hg in the Norwegian Arctic ecosystems and people. Elevated concen trations of Hg in both sediments and fish, related to long-term natural accumulation and recent long range transported pollution, have been found. Studies from other Arctic countries have shown partly high concentrations of Hg in certain population groups . Most studies dealing with the impact of Hg in the environment limit their scope to certain aspects of the biogeochemical cycle, often neglecting to put in perspective their behavior at the ecosystem level, and disregarding the role that humans do play i n these cycles. This project will integrate knowledge from the natural sciences, health sciences and social sciences to assess the specific environmental sensitivity to the presence of Hg and the human vulnerability of an exposed population in the Norwegi an Arctic. The project team comprises national expertise in the relevant fields and in addition will draw on leading international expertise.