First Advisor
Jen Morse
Date of Award
Fall 6-9-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Environmental Science and University Honors
Department
Environmental Science and Management
Language
English
Subjects
Native American, Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, Community Health
Abstract
Native communities’ exposure to anthropogenic Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS: “Forever Chemicals”) are not demographically or geographically evenly distributed. Those who live near or on contaminated land or water are the most likely to accumulate dangerous amounts of PFAS that may have serious health consequences (Tribal PFAS Working Group 2021). Areas that tend to be most contaminated include landfills, airports, and military bases. Often Black, Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) and low-income communities are placed near these “sacrificial zones” due to historic and current policies that segregate and marginalize people and families to polluted lands creating great environmental injustices (Dixie). In this thesis I will discuss 14 articles that delve into PFAS bodily accumulations in Native communities North of the 60th meridian in the U.S. and Canada and will come to understand that food and general practices deeply effect PFAS accumulation from community to community. Though there is overlap in some of the data found in this review, generalized understandings about Native peoples’ bodily accumulations of PFAS in the region are hard to determine, and should be approached cautiously. I therefore conclude that to truly understand PFAS in Native communities, first-foods, first-medicines, and drinking water need to be tested. Native food, medicine, and water sovereignty should be centered, and Native leadership is paramount.
Recommended Citation
Liebeseller, Laurel, "Native American and First-Nations Canadian and Physical PFAS Accumulations: A literature Review" (2024). University Honors Theses. Paper 1531.