Exploring the use of the RISK21 approach for Indigenous community-based human health risk assessments: two case studies
Indigenous peoples in North America are disproportionately exposed to environmental contaminants and may face elevated health risks related to unique socio-cultural ties to the land. Conventional human health risk assessment (HHRA) methods do not account for these unique contexts. Regulators (i.e.,...
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Canadian Science Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | FACETS |
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| Online Access: | https://facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2024-0085 |
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| author | Katherine Chong Madisan Chavez Ave Dersch John Doyle Margaret Eggers JoRee LaFrance Myra J Lefthand Findlay MacDermid Claire McAuley Vanessa Simonds Sara L Young Niladri Basu |
| author_facet | Katherine Chong Madisan Chavez Ave Dersch John Doyle Margaret Eggers JoRee LaFrance Myra J Lefthand Findlay MacDermid Claire McAuley Vanessa Simonds Sara L Young Niladri Basu |
| author_sort | Katherine Chong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Indigenous peoples in North America are disproportionately exposed to environmental contaminants and may face elevated health risks related to unique socio-cultural ties to the land. Conventional human health risk assessment (HHRA) methods do not account for these unique contexts. Regulators (i.e., Health Canada, US EPA) have called for the development of more ethical and efficient HHRA approaches, but to our knowledge no such approaches have been designed in consideration of Indigenous community contexts. RISK21 is a new HHRA approach gaining regulatory attention. We present two case studies piloting RISK21’s use in collaboration with three unique communities (Cold Lake First Nations, Chipewyan Prairie First Nation, Apsáalooke/Crow Nation). Our objectives are first, reflect upon the benefits and challenges of using RISK21 in these contexts; second, compare RISK21-based to conventional assessments; and third, ideate adaptations and improvements to the approach. The RISK21-based analyses had similar descriptive results to the original conventional assessments, including when using less information. We found RISK21 useful for rapid chemical assessment and visually representing data from multiple sources. We recommend areas where RISK21 (and other next-generation HHRA approaches) might be improved for Indigenous community contexts, including increasing the community relevance of communication tools and incorporating holistic and non-conventional information. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6a581b3099f548fab7a474f2d1ffd075 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2371-1671 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Canadian Science Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | FACETS |
| spelling | doaj-art-6a581b3099f548fab7a474f2d1ffd0752025-08-20T01:58:00ZengCanadian Science PublishingFACETS2371-16712025-01-011011610.1139/facets-2024-0085Exploring the use of the RISK21 approach for Indigenous community-based human health risk assessments: two case studiesKatherine Chong0Madisan Chavez1Ave Dersch2John Doyle3Margaret Eggers4JoRee LaFrance5Myra J Lefthand6Findlay MacDermid7Claire McAuley8Vanessa Simonds9Sara L Young10Niladri Basu11Centre for Indigenous Peoples’ Nutrition and Environment, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, CanadaCrow Environmental Health Steering Committee, Crow Reservation, MT, USAMoccasin Flower Consulting, Slave Lake, AB, CanadaCrow Environmental Health Steering Committee, Crow Reservation, MT, USACrow Environmental Health Steering Committee, Crow Reservation, MT, USACrow Environmental Health Steering Committee, Crow Reservation, MT, USACrow Environmental Health Steering Committee, Crow Reservation, MT, USACold Lake First Nations, Lands and Resources Department, AB, CanadaIntrinsik Corp., Calgary, AB, CanadaCrow Environmental Health Steering Committee, Crow Reservation, MT, USACrow Environmental Health Steering Committee, Crow Reservation, MT, USACentre for Indigenous Peoples’ Nutrition and Environment, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, CanadaIndigenous peoples in North America are disproportionately exposed to environmental contaminants and may face elevated health risks related to unique socio-cultural ties to the land. Conventional human health risk assessment (HHRA) methods do not account for these unique contexts. Regulators (i.e., Health Canada, US EPA) have called for the development of more ethical and efficient HHRA approaches, but to our knowledge no such approaches have been designed in consideration of Indigenous community contexts. RISK21 is a new HHRA approach gaining regulatory attention. We present two case studies piloting RISK21’s use in collaboration with three unique communities (Cold Lake First Nations, Chipewyan Prairie First Nation, Apsáalooke/Crow Nation). Our objectives are first, reflect upon the benefits and challenges of using RISK21 in these contexts; second, compare RISK21-based to conventional assessments; and third, ideate adaptations and improvements to the approach. The RISK21-based analyses had similar descriptive results to the original conventional assessments, including when using less information. We found RISK21 useful for rapid chemical assessment and visually representing data from multiple sources. We recommend areas where RISK21 (and other next-generation HHRA approaches) might be improved for Indigenous community contexts, including increasing the community relevance of communication tools and incorporating holistic and non-conventional information.https://facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2024-0085human health risk assessmentnew approach methodologies (NAMs)Indigenous communitiesRISK21cumulative risk assessmenttraditional food |
| spellingShingle | Katherine Chong Madisan Chavez Ave Dersch John Doyle Margaret Eggers JoRee LaFrance Myra J Lefthand Findlay MacDermid Claire McAuley Vanessa Simonds Sara L Young Niladri Basu Exploring the use of the RISK21 approach for Indigenous community-based human health risk assessments: two case studies FACETS human health risk assessment new approach methodologies (NAMs) Indigenous communities RISK21 cumulative risk assessment traditional food |
| title | Exploring the use of the RISK21 approach for Indigenous community-based human health risk assessments: two case studies |
| title_full | Exploring the use of the RISK21 approach for Indigenous community-based human health risk assessments: two case studies |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the use of the RISK21 approach for Indigenous community-based human health risk assessments: two case studies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the use of the RISK21 approach for Indigenous community-based human health risk assessments: two case studies |
| title_short | Exploring the use of the RISK21 approach for Indigenous community-based human health risk assessments: two case studies |
| title_sort | exploring the use of the risk21 approach for indigenous community based human health risk assessments two case studies |
| topic | human health risk assessment new approach methodologies (NAMs) Indigenous communities RISK21 cumulative risk assessment traditional food |
| url | https://facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2024-0085 |
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