In connection to the international Arctic study the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Project, Human Health (AMAP/HH), 150 mothers and their newborn infants were studied. The following studies were conducted: maternal blood mercury, lead, and cadmium concentrations, and newborn cord blood mercury, lead, and cadmium concentration. From both the maternal plasma and cord plasma the levels of selenium, zinc, copper, 15 different polychlorinated biphenyl compounds (PCB congeners), and 11 pesticides or Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP) were measured. Arsenic and nickel were analysed from maternal and newborn urine. The exposure to environmental pollutants was calculated by using the frequency method and diary method. Furthermore, the concentrations of pollutants and nutrients in the Lappish diet were discussed.
The geometric mean of the maternal whole blood mercury concentration was 1.4 µg/l and the cord blood mercury concentration 1.9 µg/l. The mean maternal blood lead concentration was 11.3 µg/l. The mean maternal and cord blood cadmium concentration was below detection level. The maternal urine creatinine adjusted nickel concentration was 0.68 µg/l and in the newborn urine 1.16 µg/l. The corresponding arsenic concentrations were 8.71 µg/l for the mothers and 8.27 µg/l for the newborn. Organic chlorinated compounds and PCB compounds were measured from several combined specimen pools. The concentrations were low. In addition, the calculated supply of pollutants was low. Furthermore, some nutritional deficiencies were found, as usually expected.
There were no significant differences between the frequency method and the diary method concerning the food calculation results. A few differences were found between the results of, for example, fats, sugar, fibres, and certain vitamins. The local produce in Lapland is non-polluted and recommended to the population. The pregnant women need advise on a healthy and diverse diet.