doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com More about the lead controversy

When it comes to lead ingestion by waterfowl, there is merit to the toxcicity of lead, because birds have a gizzard whereing they take in stones, pebbles, sand etc to help grind up the seed food they eat. This grinding process in ingestion WILL grind off the protective oxide coating on lead pellets and hence slough off lead into the bird's system. On the other hand, as previously stated, lead pellets laying on the ground or even covered up by soil, or laying on the bottome of some body of water will form a durable oxide layer which protects metallic lead or its salts from entering the ecosystem. You've got to look at the situation of how lead is treated. As far as lead leaching into waterways and groudwater by the landfill route, this is very different than lead shot being used for hunting or trap/skeet applications. Once has to look at the specifics of how the heavy metal is used. The best example of the stupidity of people (read Press) to paint something with a broad brush is the issue of Thimersol. This is a murcury salt that has been used as a great topical disinfectant (eg, Mercurichrome- the red stuff us oldtimer used on scratches and scrapes) as well as for preservatives for injectible drugs as well as for contact lens solution baterialcides. This non-toxic (because it is not soluble in any appreciable amounts biologically) substance has saved more people from getting infections of the eye, skin, etc. than any other disinfectant. Yet, because it has murcury in it, it has basically disappeared, to the detrement of public health. I can't tell you how many more eye infections are attributable to it demise since it has been replaced by other, much less effective diinfectants. Again, the issue is general public ignorance that heavy metal based applications are not always bad.

Here is a few moments worth of looking or articles on lead and wildlife other than waterfowl. There are gazillions more such articles out there.

These are titles and abstracts for anyone interested in actually reading them.
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Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
Article: pp. 4–20 | Full Text | PDF (178K)

AN ECOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT OF LEAD SHOT EXPOSURE IN NON-WATERFOWL AVIAN SPECIES: UPLAND GAME BIRDS AND RAPTORS
Ronald J. Kendall1, Thomas E. Lacher Jr.2, Christine Bunck3, Bernard Daniel4, Crystal Driver5, Christian E. Grue6, Frederick Leighton7, William Stansley8, Philip G. Watanabe9, and Molly Whitworth10

1. The Institute of Wildlife and Environmental Toxicology (TIWET), P.O. Box 709, One TIWET Drive, Clemson University, Pendleton, South Carolina 29670 USA, 2. Archbold Tropical Research Center, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634-1019 USA, 3. Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends Program, National Biological Service, 1849 C Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20240 USA, 4. Ecological Monitoring Research Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio 45268 USA, 5. Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories, Environmental Sciences (MS K4-12), Box 999, Richland, Washington 99352 USA, 6. National Biological Service, Washington Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, School of Fisheries, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98107 USA, 7. Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Center, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada, 8. New Jersey Division of Fish, Game, and Wildlife, Office of Fish and Wildlife Health and Forensics, P.O. Box 394, Lebanon, New Jersey 08833, 9. The Dow Chemical Company, Health and Environmental Sciences, 1803 Building, Midland, Michigan 48674 USA, 10. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Room 415, West Tower, 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20460 USA

There is increasing concern that birds in terrestrial ecosystems may be exposed to spent lead shot. Evidence exists that upland birds, particularly mourning doves (Zenaida macroura), ingest spent lead shot and that raptors ingest lead shot by consuming wounded game. Mortality, neurological dysfunction, immune suppression, and reproductive impairment are documented effects of exposure to lead in birds. An ecological risk assessment on the impact of lead shot exposure in upland birds was conducted and is presented in the context of the new United States Environmental Protection Agency's Ecological Risk Assessment Paradigm. A considerable amount of spent lead shot is released into the environment each year from shooting and hunting. Doves collected from fields that are cultivated to attract mourning doves for hunting activities show evidence of ingestion of spent lead shot. Because lead can cause both acute and chronic toxicity if ingested by birds, and because there is evidence of widespread deposition of lead shot in terrestrial ecosystems, concern for impacts on upland game birds and raptors seems warranted. Although this ecological risk assessment does not clearly define a significant risk of lead shot exposure to upland game birds, this issue merits continued scrutiny to protect our upland game bird and raptor resources.
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And another:
Lead Poisoning in Upland-foraging Birds of Prey in Canada -
Ecotoxicology, 2003


A.J. Clark1 and A.M. Scheuhammer1

(1) Canadian Wildlife Service, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottowa, ON, Canada, K1A 0H3


Abstract We examined the degree of lead exposure, based on tissue-lead concentrations, in 184 raptors of 16 species found dead across Canada. The most prevalent species available for examination were Red-tailed hawks, Great horned owls, and Golden eagles (n=131). The majority of individuals examined had very low lead accumulation, however 3–4% of total mortality in these 3 most commonly encountered species was attributed to lead poisoning. In addition, 1 of 9 Bald Eagles found dead far from aquatic environments was lead poisoned; and a single Turkey Vulture had a highly elevated bone-lead concentration (58 µg/g dry weight). Evidence from our study, along with other published research, indicates that upland-foraging birds of prey and scavengers that typically include game birds and mammals in their diets, are at risk for lead poisoning from the ingestion of lead projectiles from ammunition used in upland hunting. The use of non-lead ammunition for hunting upland game would effectively remove the only serious source of high lead exposure and lead poisoning for upland-foraging raptors.

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And another - this one you will all like:

Northern Bobwhite and Lead Shot Deposition in an Upland Habitat
in Earth and Environmental Science
M. K. Keel, W. R. Davidson, G. L. Doster, L. A. Lewis
1Department of Veterinary Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
2Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
3D. B. Warnell School of Forest Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA


Abstract

We estimated total lead shotshell pellets expended, resultant pellet availability near soil surface, and the frequency of pellet ingestion by northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) attributable to nearly a quarter century of bobwhite hunting on a 202-ha upland habitat at Tall Timbers Research Station, Leon County, Florida. A total of 7,776 shots were fired, resulting in the expenditure of approximately 4.5 million pellets (~ 22,519/ha). Sixteen of 235 (6.8%) soil samples collected in 1989 and 1992 contained one or two pellets. Soil samples indicated that approximately 7,800 pellets/ha (about 35% of the projected 24-year deposition) were within 2.54 cm of the soil surface. Pellet ingestion by bobwhites was evaluated by examining 241 gizzards collected from 1989-92. Three bobwhites (1.3%) had ingested pellets (x¥ = 1.3 pellets). No instances of suspected lead poisoning were noted in bobwhites over the 24-year period. Sport hunting of wild bobwhite populations on upland habitats appears to produce a low potential for lead poisoning compared to lead deposition in association with waterfowl and dove hunting.


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and one you won't

Elevated lead concentrations in edible portions of game birds harvested with lead shot

A. M. Scheuhammera, *, J. A. Perraulta, E. Routhiera, B. M. Braunea and G. D. Campbellb
a Canadian Wildlife Service, National Wildlife Research Centre, 100 Gamelin Boulevard, Hull, Quebec, Canada K1A 0H3
b Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
Received 3 December 1997; accepted 7 April 1998. Available online 21 December 1998.



Abstract
Here, we report the results of a study to determine the frequency of elevated Pb concentrations in pectoral muscle tissue of hunter-killed game birds (mostly waterfowl), and to address the cause of occasionally observed high Pb values. Of 827 right pectoral muscle pools (1–12 individuals per pool), 92 had Pb concentrations greater than 0.5 μg/g wet weight, (2 μg/g dry weight). The average Pb concentration for these 92 pools was 12±38 μg/g wet weight (40±125 μg/g dry wt). When tissue from individuals making up some of these ‘high Pb' pools were analysed, 40 of 190 individual birds had Pb concentrations >5 μg/g dry weight in their right pectoral muscles. All tissue samples were examined visually prior to analysis, and none contained detectable Pb pellets. The average concentration of Pb in right pectoral muscle tissue of individual birds from high Pb pools with elevated muscle-Pb concentrations was 211±634 μg/g (n=40) and ranged from 5.5 to 3910 μg/g (dry wt). Large differences in Pb concentrations between right and left pectoral muscle of the same individuals, were often noted. The magnitude of the differences in Pb concentrations between left and right pectoral muscles of the same individual, and also between different samples taken from the same tissue, preclude both analytical error and biologically incorporated Pb as the cause of the elevated Pb concentrations in these animals. Radiography confirmed the presence of numerous small (<1 mm diameter) metallic fragments in pectoral muscle samples from these birds. Embedded fragments of metallic Pb from shot disintegration are a potential source of dietary Pb exposure for predators, and for human consumers of wild game, especially in communities that rely on subsistence hunting and for whom hunter-killed wild game represents a major food source. This risk can be eliminated by the use of non-toxic shot for hunting.

Nice try, Brent, but some of our colleagues only believe science they hear from Professor Limbaugh.

How true. The key is in the word "believe" in contrast to "understand".

Point is, for those that want to understand BEFORE they believe, there is a ton of stuff out there and anyone can get to much of it.

For example go to http://www.scholar.google.com punch in the keywords

upland bird lead shot

And gazillions of references will surface. Most of them will show the abstract or summary to anyone. If you are based and a research institution, then most of them will produce the entire paper for you in another click of the mouse.

Understanding is doable. Just takes effort.

Brent

Do a little research on Kendall, Lacher and the rest. They get paid for doing research trying to prove environmental damage, not the reverse.

The recent star in theoretical physics has been Stephen Hawking, at the new millennium his peers didn't place him into the top twenty of this field.
Gotta watch what you think you know Brent!

The most effective way to stop the banning of lead is a boycott. Most Wildlife agencies are facing a problem of declining revenue these days. Hit em where it hurts them, in the wallet. Organize a boycott via petition, have those who sign a pledge not to buy a hunting license for the coming year in direct protest to the lead ban. Get enough support I guarantee you will get the attention of the Director of your DNR.

why bother worrying about lead shot when in 20 years there wont be a place to shoot it. its the housing developments going up like crazy and non hunters posting their land in fear of stray bbs and bullets hitting their houses while up rooting gun clubs and taking away public hunting lands that are our biggest threat. after all human encroachment is the real reason for a lot of our endangered and extinct game species.

a boycott of buying hunting licenses im sure in theory would work but i work all year to take a few days off to hunt and theres no way that id sign a petition for that. im gonna hunt as much as i can while i still can and if that means using a more expensive shot, so be it.

If you really hunted birds much you couldn't afford it with no-tox shot. We have 100+ shell days per person during crow season. Go to a skeet or trap shooting tournament especially a state shoot and you will go through close to a 1000 shells over 3 days with practice and shoot-offs. If you are willing to trade off losing the use of your classic doubles and clay target shooting for a few days in the field you are making a fools bargain.

PS. yes I am one of the idiots you said was digging in their heels on this subject in another post.

Brent, the bald eagle was the poster bird (lawsuit bird, in fact) for the lead shot restrictions on waterfowl. I can't comment on the impact on overall raptor POPULATIONS vs individual raptors found to have died of lead poisoning . . . but I think we all know what has happened to the bald eagle. A great story when it comes to the recovery of an endangered species. So if lead continues to be a problem, with the current restrictions . . . have the eagles grown smart enough to avoid it? Or are we now in search of another poster bird, because the bald eagle example obviously doesn't work any more??

If there are gazillions of studies out there that actually show an impact of lead SHOT on species other than waterfowl, and show that (unlike eagles, with a significant population INCREASE) there is an overall species decline rather than a few individual dead birds, you need to talk to the MN Nontoxic Shot Advisory Committee. They're the folks considering expanding lead shot restrictions, and even they say the studies aren't there (other than on doves): "Conclusive proof regarding the effects of lead shot on other upland game populations is lacking, but the topic has received little study to date." Seems to me we need a whole lot more study, and a whole lot more proof, before we increase lead shot restrictions.

There is merit to the dove studies, but of course a popular dove field will receive a whole lot more concentrated shot fall than virtually any other type of upland habitat. Same thing with shooting preserves (like Tall Timbers)--but note what's NOT happening to quail down there.

As far as I'm concerned, the jury is still out--WAY out--on the impact of lead on other species. Not individual representatives of other species, but overall populations. If eagle numbers are increasing when they were one of the reasons for the current restrictions, does it seem likely that other raptor populations are declining due to lead poisoning? Do we KNOW that they are declining? Anecdotally, I think most of us would say that if anything, we're seeing more hawks these days, not fewer.