Traditional foods play a central role in nutrition, culture and food security for many northern Indigenous communities. A new study suggests that some of these foods, particularly certain waterfowl, can contribute both essential nutrients and small amounts of environmental contaminants, highlighting the importance of looking at the full dietary picture rather than focusing on risk alone.
Researchers from the University of Waterloo measured mercury and omega-3 fatty acid levels in people living in the Dehcho and Sahtú regions of the Northwest Territories and in Old Crow, Yukon. The study, published in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, examined how commonly eaten traditional foods, including fish and waterfowl such as ducks and geese, were reflected in biological markers of exposure and nutrition.
Participants provided blood and hair samples, which allowed researchers to directly measure mercury exposure and omega-3 levels, rather than relying on estimates alone. Participants also completed dietary surveys describing the traditional foods they had consumed over the previous year.
As expected, fish consumption was associated with higher levels of both omega-3 fatty acids and mercury. Fish are well known to be a rich source of omega-3s, particularly in northern diets, while also being a recognized route of mercury exposure in Arctic and sub-Arctic ecosystems.
What surprised the research team was the similar pattern observed with waterfowl consumption.
“As expected, we found that eating certain fish, a well-known source of both omega-3 fatty acids and mercury, was associated with higher levels of both,” said Sara Packull-McCormick, a PhD candidate at the University of Waterloo who led the data analysis. “Somewhat unexpectedly, people who reported eating waterfowl also tended to have higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids and mercury levels, suggesting that waterfowl may contribute important nutrients alongside small amounts of mercury.”
The researchers noted that ducks with mixed or fish-based diets appeared most strongly associated with this pattern. The findings do not suggest that waterfowl should be avoided, but rather that they may deserve greater attention in programs that monitor both nutrients and contaminants in traditional foods.
“Traditional foods remain incredibly important to northern Indigenous communities, not only for nutrition but for cultural identity, community connection and food security,” said Brian Laird, professor in the School of Public Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo and lead author of the study. “Our findings support efforts to promote traditional food consumption while also identifying ways to reduce risks from contaminants that enter Arctic ecosystems.”
Importantly, the study emphasizes balance. While mercury exposure is a real concern in northern regions due to long-range environmental pollution, traditional foods also provide high-quality nutrition that supports overall health. Replacing these foods with store-bought alternatives is not always nutritionally or culturally appropriate.
The authors argue that waterfowl should be included more regularly in monitoring programs that already track contaminants and nutrients in fish. Doing so could help communities make informed decisions that protect health while sustaining food practices that remain vital to identity and well-being.
The researchers stress that these findings are context-specific and should not be generalized to people outside northern regions or to populations with different dietary patterns. Instead, the work is intended to support community-led decision-making grounded in both scientific evidence and cultural priorities.
This research was supported by public and nonprofit funding programs focused on environmental health, northern food systems and Indigenous well-being. Primary funding came from Canada’s Northern Contaminants Program, administered through Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. Additional support was provided by Global Water Futures, the Northern Scientific Training Program, Health Canada, the Canada Research Chair in Nutritional Lipidomics, the University of Waterloo, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.