Dr. Laurie Chan. Download the high-resolution image.
“The most challenging part of the research is identifying the subtle effects of even very low levels of mercury in people.”
UNBC professor has contributed to an international declaration aimed at drawing attention to the effects of mercury pollution. It was released today by the world’s leading mercury scientists.
UNBC Health Sciences professor Laurie Chan has been involved with mercury research for more than a dozen years and has worked with aboriginal communities throughout Canada’s North to document the human health effects of mercury contamination, as well as the effects of other environmental pollutants. Chan was one of 40 scientists worldwide – and one of only eight Canadians – to contribute to the international declaration, which presents 33 main findings based on mercury’s atmospheric sources, its effects on wildlife and fisheries, and health effects.
Researchers use hair to measure mercury. Download the high-resolution image.
Download the high-resolution image.
“The most challenging part of the research is identifying the subtle effects of even very low levels of mercury in people,” says Dr. Chan who is a BC Leadership Chair in Aboriginal Environmental Health. “Some of my research has documented that the presence of even small amounts of mercury can affect the biochemistry of the brain and possibly slow down the communication between brain cells. The research we’re doing now is quantifying the levels of mercury in people and what are the subtle effects.”
Mercury is produced primarily from the burning of fossil fuels. It is one of the pollutants that generally appear at high levels in the North because of predominant wind currents and the fact that mercury becomes more stable in cold temperatures. The International Declaration on Mercury Pollution states that three times more mercury now falls from the sky than before the Industrial Revolution. The human fetus is particularly at risk, with low levels of mercury exposure in utero linked to lower intelligence. The increased concentration of mercury in fish and wildlife also puts aboriginal people at high risk for mercury exposure. "It is important to emphasize that not all fish is bad," says Dr. Chan. "Salmon, for example, have little mercury and eating more fish generally benefits heart health and brain development."
UNBC has state-of-the-art equipment for analysing mercury levels in tissue. Download the high-resolution image.
“This is a global issue and a local issue,” says Dr. Chan, who is currently working with three aboriginal communities in northern BC to document mercury exposure and its health effects. “The Mercury Declaration came out of an international conference that attracted more than 1,000 scientists. It gave us a platform to hopefully influence public policy.”
Dr. Chan's Biography
Prof. Laurie Chan joined the Community Health Program at UNBC in January 2006. He obtained his B.Sc. and M.Phil. from the University of Hong Kong and Ph.D. from the University of London. He holds a prestigious BC Leadership Chair in Aboriginal Environmental Health with a $4.5 million endowment. He is also one of the six NSERC Northern Research Chairs in Canada.
Prof. Chan was a founding member of the Centre for Indigenous Peoples’ Nutrition and Environment at McGill University (1993-2005). He has received over $4 million in research funding from 45 research grants and contracts, published over 80 papers in peer-reviewed journals, written 18 book chapters and technical reports and owns 2 patents. He has presented over 200 abstracts and scientific papers, and has given over 60 invited talks. He has supervised 40 post-doctoral fellows and graduate students. Currently, he holds 12 research grants and supervises 2 post-doctoral fellows and 7 graduate students.
Prof. Chan’s work involves both basic and applied research in environmental toxicology and nutrition toxicology. He has conducted extensive studies on the risk and benefits of the consumption of traditional food and impacts of environmental changes on food security. Prof. Chan also serves as an advisor for numerous national and international governments and organizations and Aboriginal communities on environmental health issues.
Related Links
The Madison Declaration on Mercury Pollution (PDF)
Funders
Canadian Institutes for Health Research
Michael Smith Foundation Network of Occupational and Environmental Health
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
Health Canada
NCE ArcticNet
Natural Resources Canada
Contact
Laurie Chan
Professor, Community Health Sciences
BC Leadership Chair in Aboriginal Environmental Health
NSERC Northern Research Chair
BSc, MPhil (Hong Kong), PhD (London)
(250) 960-5237