Perfluoroalkyl acid and bisphenol-A exposure via food sources in four First Nation communities in Quebec, Canada

Objective: To document perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAA) and bisphenol-A (BPA) exposure in four First Nation communities in northern Quebec compared with the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS Cycle 5 2016-2017) and examine the associations between dietary consumption and chemical exposure. Design: We used cross-sectional data from the JES-YEH! project conducted in collaboration with four First Nation communities in 2015. A FFQ collected information on diet, and PFAA and BPA were measured in biological samples. We used generalised linear models to test the associations between food intake and chemical biomarkers. Setting: Northern Quebec. Participants: Youth aged 3-19 years (n 198). Results: Mean perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) levels were significantly higher in JES-YEH! than CHMS, and BPA levels were higher among those aged 12-19 years compared with CHMS. Dairy products were associated with PFNA among Anishinabe and Innu participants (geometric mean ratio 95 % CI: 1 center dot 53 (95 % CI 1 center dot 03, 2 center dot 29) and 1 center dot 52 (95 % CI 1 center dot 05, 2 center dot 20), respectively). PFNA was also associated with ultra-processed foods (1 center dot 57 (95 % CI 1 center dot 07, 2 center dot 31)) among Anishinabe, and with wild fish and berries (1 center dot 44 (95 % CI 1 center dot 07, 1 center dot 94); 1 center dot 75 (95 % CI 1 center dot 30, 2 center dot 36)) among Innu. BPA was associated with cheese (1 center dot 72 (95 % CI 1 center dot 19, 2 center dot 50)) and milk (1 center dot 53 (95 % CI 1 center dot 02, 2 center dot 29)) among Anishinabe, and with desserts (1 center dot 71 (95 % CI 1 center dot 07, 2 center dot 74)), processed meats (1 center dot 55 (95 % CI 1 center dot 00, 2 center dot 38)), wild fish (1 center dot 64 (95 % CI 1 center dot 07, 2 center dot 49)) and wild berries (2 center dot 06 (95 % CI 1 center dot 37, 3 center dot 10)) among Innu. Conclusions: These results highlight the importance of better documenting food-processing and packaging methods, particularly for dairy products, and their contribution to endocrine disruptors exposures as well as to promote minimally processed and unpackaged foods to provide healthier food environments for youth in Indigenous communities and beyond.

Automated summary

This study aimed to compare the exposure to perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAA) and bisphenol-A (BPA) in four First Nation communities in Quebec with the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS). The study found higher levels of perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) in the JES-YEH! project compared to CHMS, and higher BPA levels among individuals aged 12-19 years compared to CHMS. Dairy products were associated with PFNA and BPA exposure among the participants.