Grant: Project Grant

The oil sands in Northern Alberta have undergone intense development over the past decade. There are widely opposing views of the industry with oil sands supporters highlighting the significant economic benefits for Canadians, and critics raising concerns regarding environmental and human health impacts of oil sands development. The people who are most affected by the oil sands industry are the First Nations communities living in the Peace-Athabasca Delta. Elders and community members are concerned that chemicals produced from oil sands activity are contaminating the water supply and harming the health of wildlife and humans. One of the major areas of concern is related to reproductive health. Oil and gas contaminants have the potential to impact fertility of Indigenous men, women and children as well as the unborn generations. In addition, reduced reproductive success in wildlife means population declines which impact the cultural, economic and social well-being of Indigenous communities through the erosion of the trust they have in their natural environment, and as a consequence, impacts on their ability to harvest and consume traditional foods. The goal of this project is to determine the impact of chemicals from oil sands activity on reproduction in mink, a culturally and economically significant species. These results will also provide insight about the effects of these chemicals on human reproductive health.