SUPERFUND RESEARCH PROGRAM

Reducing exposure and preserving cultural traditions

CTUIR - OSU PARTNERSHIP

2012 - 2013 UPDATE

Traditional tipi

Modern smoke shed

Fresh salmon fillets

Learning about exposure pathways that are

relevant to Native American lifestyles

People are exposed to environmental pollution from many pathways including

the air we breathe and the food we eat. Native American lifestyles are closely

entwined with their natural environment and traditional cultural practices. This

creates complex exposure pathways that are not well described and often

overlooked by environmental managers. One such pathway is the smoking of

food. Salmon, a first food, is important to the subsistence of Native Americans

living in the Pacific Northwest. The salmon run from spring until fall. Smoking

salmon is one of the traditional ways to preserve this seasonally abundant food

and make it available year round.

Scientists at the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s

(CTUIR) Department of Science and Engineering (DOSE) are collaborating with

Oregon State University (OSU) to collect information on environmental

exposures that are relevant for the people of the Confederated Tribes of the

Umatilla Indian Reservation. DOSE uses this information to develop culturally

appropriate strategies to reduce environmental exposures and contribute

knowledge for self-protection, pollution prevention, and remediation. This

information is important for protecting Tribal health and can be used by other

communities that confront environmental injustice.

After discussions with a tribal advisory panel and community members, it was

decided to study exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that

result from smoking foods. PAHs are a family of chemicals produced by burning

organic material such as wood. They are also produced by burning fossil fuels. In

the air, PAHs become attached to particles in the soot and ash. People can be

exposed to PAHs from breathing contaminated air or eating smoked foods

although many other exposure pathways exist. Many PAHs are considered to be

harmful but the toxicity of each PAH can differ. This is why it is important to

identify the type of PAH generated by different exposure pathways and its

concentration in order to determine if there is a risk to people’s health.

2 The project & air pollutants

3 Eating smoked salmon

4 Focus group discussions

2 CTUIR-OSU Partnership

The Project In 2011-2012, twenty spring-run

Chinook were purchased from a Tribal

fisherman. Two batches of salmon

were smoked over a two day period.

Two tribal members volunteered to

allow scientists to observe them while

they smoked salmon with one person

using a tipi and the other using a

smoke shed.

Each volunteer wore air sampling

equipment and turned it on every time

they went into the smoking structures.

The samplers pull air across a filter

that traps soot and particles. This

information shows the PAH level in the

air inside the structures. Volunteers

provided urine samples over the two

days to find out if any PAHs were

absorbed by their bodies. Samples of

the smoked salmon were also

collected to find out if PAHs were

present. The samples were shared

with OSU researchers who have

developed state-of-the art methods

for identifying and measuring PAHs.

The data generated from this study

are the property of the CTUIR. They

approve any use of the data or

samples. Approval was also obtained

by the CTUIR Health Commission, the

Portland Area Indian Health Board,

and OSU’s Institutional Review Board.

Air pollutants The data showed the air in the tipi and

the smoke shed contained PAHs. The

concentration of PAHs in the air inside

the tipi were lower than what was

measured in the smoke shed after

adjusting for the amount of time each

volunteer spent smoking salmon. The

volunteer who smoked salmon inside

the tipi also had lower concentrations

of PAHs in their urine compared to the

volunteer in the smoke shed indicating

that person absorbed less PAHs in

their body. These comparisons suggest

that smoking salmon inside a tipi may

lead to a lower PAH exposure for the

person who is smoking salmon. More

data are needed, however, to

determine if these exposure patterns

are always true.

Smoking Salmon Measuring PAH exposures in volunteers who smoke salmon and in the preserved fish

Volunteers tending the fire in the tipi (left) and smoke shed (right). Notice the volunteer wearing the air sampler in the tipi. It is the black bag on his hip with the red inlet positioned on his shirt near his face.

The concentration of

PAHs in air of the CTUIR

smoke shed (green) and

CTUIR tipi (orange)were

compared to two

studies conducted in

the United Kingdom

(blue). The person

smoking fish in the tipi

had the lowest personal

exposure to total PAHs.

Commercial fish smokehouse data (blue) was reported by Unwin et al (2006) An assessment of occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the United Kingdom. Annals of Occupational Hygiene, 50(4):395-403.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Commercial fishsmoke house #1

CTUIR smokeshed

Commercial fishsmoke house #2

CTUIR tipi

To

tal P

AH

in

air

(mic

rogra

ms p

er

cu

bic

me

ter)

3 REDUCING EXPOSURE AND PRESERVING CULTURAL TRADITIONS

Smoked Salmon Salmon were smoked in the tipi and

smoke shed following traditional

practices using fresh apple wood or

cured alder wood. No brines or liquid

flavorings were added to the fish. The

samples were screened for 33 PAHs.

PAHs that are known to increase the

risk of cancer are called carcinogenic.

Otherwise, they are called non-

carcinogenic.

Seventy-five samples were collected

from the twenty fully smoked salmon.

Sixteen non-carcinogenic PAHs and six

carcinogenic PAHs were routinely

found in the samples. Only one non-

carcinogenic PAH was detected in the

salmon before the fish was smoked.

These data show that most of the

PAHs in smoked salmon resulted from

the smoking process.

While there was little difference in the

amount of PAHs deposited in the

smoked salmon by smoking structure

or type of wood, it was noted that

salmon smoked in the shed with alder

wood consistently had slightly higher

concentrations of PAHs.

As a comparison, three types of

commercially-available smoked

salmon were purchased in a grocery

store. Testing revealed that store

bought smoked salmon also contained

four PAHs but in lower concentrations

and none were carcinogenic. The

different PAH profiles in traditional

versus commercial smoked salmon is

likely due to the different methods used

to smoke fish. The traditional smoking

practices observed in this project used

higher temperatures (90-120°C) and

relied on the wood smoke to dry and

cure the fish. Commercial methods, on

the other hand, use lower temperatures

(15-30°C) and expose the fish to wood

smoke for shorter periods of time. This

produces a smoked salmon product that

usually has a higher moisture content.

Some of the PAHs detected in the

traditionally smoked salmon are

harmful to health and increase the risk

of cancer. The probability of harm,

however, depends on how long a

person is exposed to these compounds

and how much smoked salmon they eat.

There are other contaminants that can

be found in salmon such as mercury and

polychlorinated biphenyls. These

chemicals were not measured in this

study and are not generated by

smoking. Some studies report that

smoking reduces the concentration of

some of these chemicals in fish.

The findings from this study were

published in the Journal of Agricultural

& Food Chemistry.

Practical Suggestions

Salmon is nutritious and rich in

omega-3 fatty acids that are good

for the brain and protect against

heart disease. In order to

continue enjoying the health

benefits and the cultural heritage

associated with salmon, while

also limiting exposure to PAHs,

we recommend that people

rotate eating fresh, frozen,

canned, and dried salmon with

smoked salmon. Children and

pregnant women may also want

to limit how much smoked

salmon they eat and enjoy it

prepared in other ways.

Total PAH in salmon was measured in micrograms per kilogram wet weight. All samples prepared by the volunteers using traditional hot smoking methods had significantly higher PAH levels compared to commercially purchased cold smoked salmon.

Indigenous cultures perceive the natural environment as an

essential link between traditional cultural practices, social

connectedness, identity, and health. Many tribal communities face

substantial health disparities related to exposure to environmental

hazards. We asked 27 volunteers who were members of the

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation about their

opinions on meanings of health and how their environment

interacts with their health.

People expressed a holistic view of health that included

environmental, physical, mental, spiritual, and social components.

A healthy natural environment was identified as an essential

component of a healthy individual and a healthy community.

People also described many environmental health concerns

including second-hand smoke, outdoor smoke, diesel exhaust,

mold, pesticides, contaminated natural foods, and toxic wastes

from the Hanford nuclear site and methamphetamine labs. Many

believe the identified environmental hazards contribute to

diseases in their community.

All discussions made it clear that the natural environment is an

important resource to CTUIR members and plays an integral role in

achieving and maintaining health. Sharing these perspectives

about the values and concerns of the community are useful to the

tribal and federal governments, health professionals,

environmental health practitioners, and community members who

seek to achieve sustainable and healthy rural Native communities.

The findings from the focus group discussions were published in

the journal Environmental Justice. Stuart Harris, Director of DOSE

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation 46411 Timine Way, Pendleton, OR 97801

Telephone: (541) 429-7437

Anna Harding, Professor Oregon State University

College of Public Health and Human Sciences 101 Milam Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331

Telephone: (541) 737-6914

Visit our website to learn about projects supported by OSU’s Superfund Outreach Core:

http://superfund.oregonstate.edu/outreach

Publications are available upon request and by visiting our website: Forsberg N, Stone D, Harding A, Harper B, Harris S, Matzke M, Cardenas A, Waters K, Anderson K. (2012). Effect of Native American fish smoking methods on dietary exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and possible risks to human health. Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry, 60(27), 6899-6906. doi: 10.1021/jf300978m Schure M, Kile ML, Harding AK, Harper B, Harris S, Uesugi S, Goins T. (2013). Perceptions of environment and health among community mem-bers of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Envi-ronmental Justice, 6(3),115-120. doi: 10.1089/env.2013.0022.

This project is funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Superfund Research Program grant P42 ESO16465

Focus Groups Asking tribal members about their opinions on health and the environment

4

Tribal Advisory Board Members

Julie Burke - CTUIR Tribal member

Pat Cirone - retired from US EPA and experienced working with tribes on environmental issues

Jamie Donatuto - Environmental Health Analyst, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community

Katie Frevert - Research Translation and Engagement Core Director, University of Washington Superfund Research Program

Tim Gilbert - Chief Executive Officer, Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center

Kelly Gonzales - Tribal member and Assistant Professor of Community Health, Portland State University

Bill Lambert - Associate Professor, Oregon Health Science University, Dept. of Preventive Medicine

Charlie Picard - Manager, Community Health Services Program, Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center

Bryan Tilt - Associate Professor, Oregon State University School of Language, Culture & Society

Matilda Hoisington - CTUIR Tribal member

Delphine Wood - CTUIR Tribal member

Gail Woodside - Tribal member and PhD student at Oregon State University in Fisheries and Wildlife.