Northern River Basins Human Health Monitoring Program

This report examines the differences in health outcomes across the province and compares the Northern River Basin Study area with the other areas of the province and examines possible relationships between health outcomes and environmental contaminants. The report includes a series of regional and local maps and graphs that identify the prevalence of certain diseases and disorders within the Peace and Athabasca river basins. The focus is on reproductive health, congenital anomalies, respiratory ailments, circulatory diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, endocrine and metabolic disorders, and neurocognitive disorders. The conclusions that can be drawn from the analysis are severely limited, because this study was a first phase screening study, population sizes were often very small, and environmental data were often unsuitable, incomplete or nonexistent. However, the analysis does identify areas where follow-up investigations are relevant and warranted. These studies should evaluate the impact of environmental factors, genetic endowment and socio-cultural factors on individual diagnoses.