Sudbury researchers to study safety of consuming local fish

A Laurentian University graduate student is researching the safety of consuming fish in two local lakes and its impact on Indigenous communities.

The research involves examining fish samples for levels of contaminants, and whether it would be harmful to humans.

Taylor Nicholls of Wahnapitae First Nation said she’s always been interested in anything to do with water.

Nicholls said she spent many summers fishing out on the waters of Lake Wanapitei with her parents, which led her to an interest in marine biology.

“I went on to do marine biology in my undergrad along with chemistry and that’s what brought me to this project, since it is working with both chemistry and biology. A mix of the two and working with fish,” she said.

Nicholls has her Master’s in Science and Biology at Laurentian University.

She also is a recent recipient of the Kurt Grinnell Aquaculture Scholarship Foundation in aquaculture. The KGASF provides financial assistance to Tribal and First Nations students who wish to pursue careers in aquaculture.

Wahnapitae First Nation recently acquired a grant from Indigenous Services Canada. They contacted Laurentian University and the University of Waterloo to undergo a study on the level of contaminants in Lake Wanapitei and Kukagami Lake.

Nicholls said she was interested in the project for its ability to inform those in her community. She said mercury levels in fish is a global concern due to industrialization.

“It is easily found in the water and enters the fish through the water,” Nicholls said.

“It stays in their bodies and accumulates in levels that could become harmful to humans when consumed.”

She said Sudbury has high levels of certain chemicals.

“We’re also looking at arsenic and selenium, which are big issues in Sudbury from smelting operations,” Nicholls said.

She said the findings would impact everyone who regularly fishes and consumes fish.

“A lot of people in Sudbury, not just Indigenous people, benefit from fishing, the nutrients of fishing, the nutrients of eating fish, so knowing the contaminants in them is important,” she said.

The project has two parts: the environmental science portion and the impact on health. Nicolls and her researchers are focusing on the environmental side.

Gretchen Lescord, a professor at Laurentian University, is working with Nicolls on the project. She said the study will examine the different factors impacting contaminant levels.

“Basically it will be, why does this fish have a higher or lower mercury or selenium level in compared to this other fish?” Lescord said.

“So it could be things like their size, their diet, where they sit in their food web, what species of fish it is or where it’s from.”

The data will then be sent to Waterloo, where public health officials will undergo a risk assessment to determine if the fish is safe to eat.

Nicolls said she is hoping to receive more samples from community donations and she will begin analyzing them in the summer.

A goal of the research is to provide a resource for her community, she added.

“My hope is that it will provide Wahnapitae First Nation with the necessary means to continue contaminant monitoring in our lakes,” Nicholls said.