Northern Contaminants
Learn about contaminants in Yukon and the steps taken to address and monitor community and environmental concerns.
On this page:
Yukon Contaminants Committee
The Yukon Contaminants Committee has been coordinating the Northern Contaminants Program's activities in Yukon since 1991. Over the past decade, efforts focused primarily on:
- the long-term air monitoring of persistent organic pollutants and mercury
- the monitoring of contaminants in water, predatory fish and caribou
- assessing contaminant-related health risks
- sharing results with communities, particularly through partnerships between scientists, the Council of Yukon First Nations, Yukon University and the Government of Yukon
According to dietary surveys, the top 5 traditional foods consumed by Yukon First Nations are moose, caribou, salmon, grayling and trout.
The Northern Contaminants Program continuously monitors contaminants in the atmosphere at Little Fox Lake, and annually monitors contaminants in caribou from the Porcupine herd and in lake trout from Lake Laberge and Kusawa Lake.
Mercury and country food in the North
While mercury concentrations in lake trout muscle fluctuate from year to year, overall, levels in lake trout from Kusawa Lake have declined 2.4% between 1993 and 2020. There has been no decline in lake trout from Lake Laberge.
In 2010, in light of known mercury contamination, the Yukon government published a Mercury in Yukon Fish Fact Sheet. It states that most Yukon fish, including grayling, whitefish, inconnu, sucker, salmon, and pike, have relatively low levels of mercury: as a result, consumption does not need to be limited.
In general, Yukon adults do not need to limit their intake of lake trout or burbot that are less than 65 cm in length. However, women of child-bearing age and children under 12 should limit their consumption of large Yukon lake trout and burbot to 1 or 2 meals a week (for fish greater than 60 cm or 6 lbs) or 3 to 4 meals a week (for fish between 40 and 60 cm or 2-6 lbs).
Mercury concentrations in kidneys from the Porcupine Caribou have declined 1.5% between 1991 and 2017. Similar concentrations of mercury were measured in woodland caribou from various locations in Yukon. Mercury levels in moose kidneys were found to be extremely low, reflecting the absence of mercury in the moose diet. Mercury does not accumulate to any extent in the muscle (meat) of moose or caribou, and there are no recommendations to limit the consumption of moose or caribou meat.
Persistent organic pollutants and food in the North
Overall, human dietary exposure to persistent organic pollutants is low and does not represent a concern for human health, given the relatively low levels of persistent organic pollutants in Yukon fish and wildlife.
Since 1993, concentrations of many persistent organic pollutants measured in Yukon lake trout have declined (HCHs, chlordanes, and toxaphene). In 2011, a consumption advisory for toxaphene, in place for Lake Laberge fish since 1991, was lifted as a result of declining levels.
As for the newer persistent organic pollutants in Yukon, perfluorooctane sulfonate (key ingredient in stain repellents and fabric protectors) concentrations in porcupine caribou liver have declined 7.5% from 2005 to 2016, whereas levels in lake trout muscle from Lake Laberge and Kusawa Lake have not significantly increased or decreased between 2006 and 2018.
Meanwhile polybrominated diphenyl ethers (flame retardant) levels have not changed significantly in those time periods in the porcupine caribou or lake trout. Perfluorooctane sulfonate and polybrominated diphenyl ethers levels in moose are generally lower than in caribou.
Overall, levels of persistent organic pollutants remain low in fish, caribou and moose and are not a concern for wildlife or human health.
Please visit our fact sheet web series to learn more about persistent organic pollutants and metals of concern.
To learn more about contaminants of concern in the North, please visit our National page.
Partnerships
The Yukon Contaminants Committee works with Yukon University to integrate data from the Northern Contaminants Program into the Environmental Monitoring Certificate program offered by the university. This program is unique and focuses on local perspectives on contaminants, First Nation traditional knowledge, wildlife and human health.
Courses offered include assessment and remediation of contaminated sites that have been contaminated by metals through mining and other industrial activities, and environmental, aquatic and terrestrial monitoring. During this program students are required to complete the Environmental Monitoring hands-on project, where students have the opportunity to travel to different communities and visit sites to put their knowledge to work.
In 2018, 2019 and 2021 7 students from Ross River Dena Council went to the Faro Mine to conduct aquatic monitoring and took part of remediation in their Traditional Territory. The Yukon Region team and the Faro Mine Remediation Project team are pleased to have supported this program and will continue working with Yukon University to expand student engagement in the fields of contaminated sites and environmental monitoring across the territory.
The Council of Yukon First Nations continues to be an important partner of the Northern Contaminants Program, focusing on contaminants impacts on First Nations across Yukon.