Federal scientific expertise in Rouyn-Noranda

A conference and science café will be held on Monday, October 6^th, at UQAT to discuss with researchers Josué Jautzy, Nicolas Benoit, and Joëlle Marion from the Geological Survey of Canada (Natural Resources Canada). Their scientific presentation, entitled “A Century of Mining in Abitibi: Spatio-Temporal Evolution of Atmospheric Emissions of Metals in the Environment,” will address the distribution and mobility of metals, metalloids, and rare earth elements in various natural environments in Abitibi.

The presentation will consist of a review of the main conclusions of studies conducted 25 years ago as part of the Metals In The Environment (MITE) program, followed by the objectives of the current activity on the cumulative effects of metal accumulation in the greater Rouyn-Noranda area using an innovative spatio-temporal approach integrating several natural archives. The Geological Survey of Canada is leading this work with the support of several collaborators and local Indigenous communities to form a multidisciplinary team.

A scientific conference will be held on Monday, October 6^th, at UQAT, followed by a science café on Tuesday, October 7^th, at Café l'Abstracto, to discuss with Ms. Annie St-Amand, Section Head of National Biomonitoring at Health Canada, the topic “Health Canada's National Biomonitoring Program: A Look at Exposure to Chemical Substances”.

Since 2007, Health Canada's national biomonitoring program has been providing essential data on Canadians' exposure to chemicals in the environment. Integrated into the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS), this program has completed seven data collection cycles, sampling approximately 40,000 people and measuring more than 350 chemicals in blood and urine. These data support regulatory policies and enable tracking of exposure trends in the general population. Ms. Annie St-Amand will provide an overview of how the CMHS biomonitoring component works, the results dissemination portal, and the chemical fact sheets. Special attention will be given to the example of arsenic to illustrate how biomonitoring data can answer key questions about exposure levels, temporal trends, international comparisons, and associated factors.