This document summarizes a research project studying exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from traditionally smoking salmon among members of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The project observed volunteers smoking salmon in a tipi and smoke shed, collecting air and urine samples to analyze PAH exposure. Analysis found lower PAH levels in the tipi air and volunteers' urine, suggesting lower exposure. PAHs were also detected in traditionally smoked but not commercially smoked salmon. The results were shared with the community to balance health and preservation of cultural practices.

1. SUPERFUND RESEARCH PROGRAM
Reducing exposure and preserving cultural traditions
CTUIR - OSU PARTNERSHIP
2012 - 2013 UPDATE
Traditional tipi
Modern smoke shed
Fresh salmon fillets
Learning about exposure pathways that are
relevant to Native American lifestyles
People are exposed to environmental pollution from many pathways including
the air we breathe and the food we eat. Native American lifestyles are closely
entwined with their natural environment and traditional cultural practices. This
creates complex exposure pathways that are not well described and often
overlooked by environmental managers. One such pathway is the smoking of
food. Salmon, a first food, is important to the subsistence of Native Americans
living in the Pacific Northwest. The salmon run from spring until fall. Smoking
salmon is one of the traditional ways to preserve this seasonally abundant food
and make it available year round.
Scientists at the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s
(CTUIR) Department of Science and Engineering (DOSE) are collaborating with
Oregon State University (OSU) to collect information on environmental
exposures that are relevant for the people of the Confederated Tribes of the
Umatilla Indian Reservation. DOSE uses this information to develop culturally
appropriate strategies to reduce environmental exposures and contribute
knowledge for self-protection, pollution prevention, and remediation. This
information is important for protecting Tribal health and can be used by other
communities that confront environmental injustice.
After discussions with a tribal advisory panel and community members, it was
decided to study exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that
result from smoking foods. PAHs are a family of chemicals produced by burning
organic material such as wood. They are also produced by burning fossil fuels. In
the air, PAHs become attached to particles in the soot and ash. People can be
exposed to PAHs from breathing contaminated air or eating smoked foods
although many other exposure pathways exist. Many PAHs are considered to be
harmful but the toxicity of each PAH can differ. This is why it is important to
identify the type of PAH generated by different exposure pathways and its
concentration in order to determine if there is a risk to people’s health.
2 The project & air pollutants
3 Eating smoked salmon
4 Focus group discussions

2. 2 CTUIR-OSU Partnership
The Project
In 2011-2012, twenty spring-run
Chinook were purchased from a Tribal
fisherman. Two batches of salmon
were smoked over a two day period.
Two tribal members volunteered to
allow scientists to observe them while
they smoked salmon with one person
using a tipi and the other using a
smoke shed.
Each volunteer wore air sampling
equipment and turned it on every time
they went into the smoking structures.
The samplers pull air across a filter
that traps soot and particles. This
information shows the PAH level in the
air inside the structures. Volunteers
provided urine samples over the two
days to find out if any PAHs were
absorbed by their bodies. Samples of
the smoked salmon were also
collected to find out if PAHs were
present. The samples were shared
with OSU researchers who have
developed state-of-the art methods
for identifying and measuring PAHs.
The data generated from this study
are the property of the CTUIR. They
approve any use of the data or
samples. Approval was also obtained
by the CTUIR Health Commission, the
Portland Area Indian Health Board,
and OSU’s Institutional Review Board.
Air pollutants
The data showed the air in the tipi and
the smoke shed contained PAHs. The
concentration of PAHs in the air inside
the tipi were lower than what was
measured in the smoke shed after
adjusting for the amount of time each
volunteer spent smoking salmon. The
volunteer who smoked salmon inside
the tipi also had lower concentrations
of PAHs in their urine compared to the
volunteer in the smoke shed indicating
that person absorbed less PAHs in
their body. These comparisons suggest
that smoking salmon inside a tipi may
lead to a lower PAH exposure for the
person who is smoking salmon. More
data are needed, however, to
determine if these exposure patterns
are always true.
Smoking Salmon
Measuring PAH exposures in volunteers who smoke salmon and in the preserved fish
Volunteers tending the fire in the tipi (left) and smoke shed (right). Notice the volunteer wearing the air
sampler in the tipi. It is the black bag on his hip with the red inlet positioned on his shirt near his face.
The concentration of
PAHs in air of the CTUIR
smoke shed (green) and
CTUIR tipi (orange)were
compared to two
studies conducted in
the United Kingdom
(blue). The person
smoking fish in the tipi
had the lowest personal
exposure to total PAHs.
Commercial fish smokehouse data (blue) was reported by Unwin et al
(2006) An assessment of occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons in the United Kingdom. Annals of Occupational Hygiene, 50
(4):395-403.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Commercial fish
smoke house #1
CTUIR smoke
shed
Commercial fish
smoke house #2
CTUIR tipi
TotalPAHinair
(microgramspercubicmeter)

3. 3REDUCING EXPOSURE AND PRESERVING CULTURAL TRADITIONS
Smoked Salmon
Salmon were smoked in the tipi and
smoke shed following traditional
practices using fresh apple wood or
cured alder wood. No brines or liquid
flavorings were added to the fish. The
samples were screened for 33 PAHs.
PAHs that are known to increase the
risk of cancer are called carcinogenic.
Otherwise, they are called non-
carcinogenic.
Seventy-five samples were collected
from the twenty fully smoked salmon.
Sixteen non-carcinogenic PAHs and six
carcinogenic PAHs were routinely
found in the samples. Only one non-
carcinogenic PAH was detected in the
salmon before the fish was smoked.
These data show that most of the
PAHs in smoked salmon resulted from
the smoking process.
While there was little difference in the
amount of PAHs deposited in the
smoked salmon by smoking structure
or type of wood, it was noted that
salmon smoked in the shed with alder
wood consistently had slightly higher
concentrations of PAHs.
As a comparison, three types of
commercially-available smoked
salmon were purchased in a grocery
store. Testing revealed that store
bought smoked salmon also contained
four PAHs but in lower concentrations
and none were carcinogenic. The
different PAH profiles in traditional
versus commercial smoked salmon is
likely due to the different methods used
to smoke fish. The traditional smoking
practices observed in this project used
higher temperatures (90-120°C) and
relied on the wood smoke to dry and
cure the fish. Commercial methods, on
the other hand, use lower temperatures
(15-30°C) and expose the fish to wood
smoke for shorter periods of time. This
produces a smoked salmon product that
usually has a higher moisture content.
Some of the PAHs detected in the
traditionally smoked salmon are
harmful to health and increase the risk
of cancer. The probability of harm,
however, depends on how long a
person is exposed to these compounds
and how much smoked salmon they eat.
There are other contaminants that can
be found in salmon such as mercury and
polychlorinated biphenyls. These
chemicals were not measured in this
study and are not generated by
smoking. Some studies report that
smoking reduces the concentration of
some of these chemicals in fish.
The findings from this study were
published in the Journal of Agricultural
& Food Chemistry.
Practical Suggestions
Salmon is nutritious and rich in
omega-3 fatty acids that are good
for the brain and protect against
heart disease. In order to
continue enjoying the health
benefits and the cultural heritage
associated with salmon, while
also limiting exposure to PAHs,
we recommend that people
rotate eating fresh, frozen,
canned, and dried salmon with
smoked salmon. Children and
pregnant women may also want
to limit how much smoked
salmon they eat and enjoy it
prepared in other ways.
Total PAH in salmon was measured in micrograms per
kilogram wet weight. All samples prepared by the volunteers
using traditional hot smoking methods had significantly
higher PAH levels compared to commercially purchased cold
smoked salmon.

4. Indigenous cultures perceive the natural environment as an
essential link between traditional cultural practices, social
connectedness, identity, and health. Many tribal communities face
substantial health disparities related to exposure to environmental
hazards. We asked 27 volunteers who were members of the
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation about their
opinions on meanings of health and how their environment
interacts with their health.
People expressed a holistic view of health that included
environmental, physical, mental, spiritual, and social components.
A healthy natural environment was identified as an essential
component of a healthy individual and a healthy community.
People also described many environmental health concerns
including second-hand smoke, outdoor smoke, diesel exhaust,
mold, pesticides, contaminated natural foods, and toxic wastes
from the Hanford nuclear site and methamphetamine labs. Many
believe the identified environmental hazards contribute to
diseases in their community.
All discussions made it clear that the natural environment is an
important resource to CTUIR members and plays an integral role in
achieving and maintaining health. Sharing these perspectives
about the values and concerns of the community are useful to the
tribal and federal governments, health professionals,
environmental health practitioners, and community members who
seek to achieve sustainable and healthy rural Native communities.
The findings from the focus group discussions were published in
the journal Environmental Justice.
Stuart Harris, Director of DOSE
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
46411 Timine Way, Pendleton, OR 97801
Telephone: (541) 429-7437
Anna Harding, Professor
Oregon State University
College of Public Health and Human Sciences
101 Milam Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331
Telephone: (541) 737-6914
Visit our website to learn about projects supported by
OSU’s Superfund Outreach Core:
http://superfund.oregonstate.edu/outreach
Publications are available upon request and by visiting our website:
Forsberg N, Stone D, Harding A, Harper B, Harris S, Matzke M, Cardenas
A, Waters K, Anderson K. (2012). Effect of Native American fish smoking
methods on dietary exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and
possible risks to human health. Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry,
60(27), 6899-6906. doi: 10.1021/jf300978m
Schure M, Kile ML, Harding AK, Harper B, Harris S, Uesugi S, Goins T.
(2013). Perceptions of environment and health among community mem-
bers of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Envi-
ronmental Justice, 6(3),115-120. doi: 10.1089/env.2013.0022.
This project is funded by the National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences Superfund Research Program grant P42 ESO16465
Focus Groups
Asking tribal members about their opinions on health
and the environment
4
Tribal Advisory Board Members
Julie Burke - CTUIR Tribal member
Pat Cirone - retired from US EPA and experienced
working with tribes on environmental issues
Jamie Donatuto - Environmental Health Analyst,
Swinomish Indian Tribal Community
Katie Frevert - Research Translation and Engagement
Core Director, University of Washington Superfund
Research Program
Tim Gilbert - Chief Executive Officer, Yellowhawk Tribal
Health Center
Kelly Gonzales - Tribal member and Assistant Professor
of Community Health, Portland State University
Bill Lambert - Associate Professor, Oregon Health
Science University, Dept. of Preventive Medicine
Charlie Picard - Manager, Community Health Services
Program, Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center
Bryan Tilt - Associate Professor, Oregon State University
School of Language, Culture & Society
Matilda Hoisington - CTUIR Tribal member
Delphine Wood - CTUIR Tribal member
Gail Woodside - Tribal member and PhD student at
Oregon State University in Fisheries and Wildlife.