Interpretation of AMAP Assessment Reports:human health in the Arctic
Global warming and increasing human activities pose growing threats to the health of Arctic indige-nous people,and a comprehensive assessment is needed to address the challenges.In this context,the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program(AMAP)of the Arctic Council released the report"Human Health in the Arctic 2021".Based on extensive scientific research and field studies,the report presents a detailed analysis of the impact of climate change,pollution,food security and socio-economic factors on human health in the Arc-tic,and states decision-making recommendations.The report points out that:(1)traditional local foods remain critical to the cultural and nutritional diets of Arctic peoples,but they are also a major source of their exposure to pollutants.Most wild foods in the Arctic are nutritious and low in contaminants,but the meat and organs of ma-rine mammals and fish often contain high levels of persistent organic pollutants(POPs)and harmful metal ele-ments.(2)The dietary structure of Arctic residents is changing,i.e.the proportion of traditional foods in the daily diet of Arctic indigenous peoples is decreasing over time,while the proportion of imported foods(such as cereals,vegetables,fruits and soft drinks)is gradually increasing.Whether the impact of this change is positive or negative for local people depends on the specific composition of the new diets and the extent to which tradi-tional diets are maintained.In addition,the increasing reliance on imported food has raised concerns about food security.(3)Levels of persistent organic pollutants(POPs)in the inhabitants of Arctic regions such as Green-land and the Faroe Islands in Denmark,Nunavut in Canada and Chukotka in Russia were several times higher than those of non-Arctic regions or other Arctic countries such as Norway,Sweden and Finland.These changes in traditional diets are the main reasons for the differences in the types and levels of pollutants in different Arctic countries and regions.(4)Levels of many POPs and metal elements such as mercury and lead measured in Arc-tic residents are decreasing.However,an increase in perfluoroalkyl substances(PFASs)has been observed in regions including Greenland,Nunavut and Sweden.This may be due to the historical lack of governmental and institutional regulation of PFASs,which have only recently come under the purview of the Stockholm Conven-tion.(5)These pollutants have many negative effects on human neurobehavioral function,immune function,re-production,cardiovascular and endocrine health,and may increase the risk of cancer.But taking more foods high in ω-3 fatty acids can help reduce the impact of these pollutants on human health.(6)In order to better as-sess and compare the health risks posed to Arctic residents by pollutants,a common risk assessment methodolo-gy and new models need to be developed and applied consistently across Arctic jurisdictions to ensure high quali-ty data and comparability of results.(7)The report calls for increased international cooperation to jointly ad-dress human health challenges in the Arctic region.At the same time,the monitoring and management of the Arctic environment must be strengthened to reduce environmental pollution and ecological deterioration.It is al-so necessary to increase the health awareness and protection capacity of local residents,to improve medical ser-vices and to provide better health protection for Arctic residents.In conclusion,the report gives us an important reference for understanding the human health situation in the Arctic region.It reminds us of the impact of global issues such as climate change and environmental pollution on human health in the Arctic region,and calls on us to take more action to protect the health and safety of Arctic indigenous people.
Arcticpopulationshuman healthArctic Monitoring and Assessment Program(AMAP)
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