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Task 4 - Exposure to metal contaminants for Northern population
Task 4b - Partner in charge:
Eric Dewailly (Nasivvik-Québec, affiliated to partner 1)
Hg and Se isotopic composition in Inuit blood for metal source affiliations - (M. Lemire, P.
Ayotte, E. Dewailly, C. Cloquet).
This sub-task aims to acquire the first combined Hg-Se isotopic composition on selected blood samples
from the Nunavik population (available from a sample bank, partner 1). Samples will be prepared by
partner 1 and send to partner 2 for isotopic analyses by multi-collector ICP-MS. Results will be interpreted
in terms of sources but also in terms of processes of bio-accumulation. Results from sub-task 4a and from task 3 will be used to isotope source tracing of Hg and Se in blood. Hg-Se isotope relationships will also
help to constrain possible links between these two elements (similar pathways, formation of Hg-Se
compounds, etc...).
Risks: Task 4 is exploratory and direct relationships the isotopic composition of country food and metals
in blood might not be evident. Bias due to unknown reactions or bio-accumulation processes may put
noise in the data and result in a difficult interpretation. In any case, our results will be pioneer in the field
of metal source tracing in human blood.