Experimental Study of Steel Shot and Lead Shot Transformation Under the Environmental Factors

This paper presents the results of an experimental study of the patterns of steel and lead shot transformation under the impact of environmental factors (two types of shot exposed alone and in combination with each other). The analyzed environmental factors include atmospheric precipitation of various acidity and soil solutions with a higher content of organic acids. This research demonstrated that steel shot is characterized by a high transformation rate that is an order of magnitude higher on average than the transformation rate of lead under the same conditions. The prevalence of the suspended iron form (excluding the interaction with organic acids) presents risks for such environmental components as soils and sediments and may be hazardous to the ambient air and natural waters in case of wind erosion and surface runoff from the catchment area. Furthermore, the joint presence of steel and lead shot mutually accelerates the corrosion of both metals, thus increasing the environmental risks.

Lead Contamination Differences in the Muscle of Wild Turkeys Harvested with Lead and Copper-Plated Lead Shot

Despite the known deleterious effects lead exposure can have on humans, lead remains the most common type of ammunition used to harvest big game and upland game birds. We sampled wild turkey Meleagris gallopavo breast muscle shot with standard lead and copper-plated lead pellets to quantify lead residue concentrations within the wound channel, and we sampled multiple adjacent locations to measure the extent lead contamination spreads through tissue of harvested turkeys. We found that samples taken from the wound channel contained more lead (mean = 3.76 μg/g dry weight) than both samples taken adjacent to the wound channel (mean = 0.20 μg/g dry weight) and samples taken from >5 cm away (mean = 0.15 μg/g dry weight). Additionally, we found that birds harvested with standard lead ammunition did not differ in lead concentrations from those shot with copper-plated lead, suggesting that copper plating does not aid in reducing lead exposure. Our findings suggest that wild turkeys harvested with either lead or copper-plated lead shot have the potential to expose consumers, especially children due to their lower tolerance, to low levels of lead that could exceed daily consumption limits set by the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control. However, elevated lead levels were confined to the wound channel, and thus proper preparation of game to remove tissue surrounding wound channels may eliminate or substantially reduce lead exposure from harvested game birds.

Blood-lead Declines in Wintering American Black Ducks in New Jersey Following the Lead Shot Ban

Waterfowl managers first recognized the problem of lead poisoning in ducks from the ingestion of spent lead shot (pellets) over 100 years ago. The phase-out of lead shot for waterfowl hunting began in the Atlantic Flyway in the 1970s. Lead shot was subsequently banned throughout the United States and Canada prior to 2000. We compared blood-lead levels in American black ducks Anas rubripes wintering in coastal New Jersey in 1978, prior to the lead ban, and in 2017, about 39 years after lead shot was first banned for use in Atlantic coastal marshes and 27 years after it was banned for waterfowl hunting in New Jersey. The prevalence of blood-lead > 0.2 ppm, a level commonly used to indicate lead exposure, declined nearly four-fold from 1978 (79%) to 2017 (20%). We found no significant differences in the prevalence of birds with blood-lead levels > 0.2 ppm between sexes in either year or between age classes in 2017. The prevalence of ducks with blood-lead levels > 1.0 ppm, considered clinically evident toxicity, declined from 19% in 1978 to 1% in 2017. Our study provides further evidence that the ban on the use of lead shot over 20 years ago throughout North America has resulted in lower blood-lead levels in waterfowl. Notwithstanding, we still found evidence of lead exposure in black ducks in 2017, which warrants further investigation.

Evidence of widespread illegal hunting of waterfowl in England despite partial regulation of the use of lead shotgun ammunition

Shooting of birds using lead shotgun ammunition was legal for all quarry species in the UK until 1st September 1999, when the Environmental Protection (Restriction on Use of Lead Shot) (England) Regulations 1999 and similar regulations in other UK countries came into effect. These regulations made it illegal to shoot ducks and geese and some other waterfowl species in England with lead shotgun ammunition and/or to use it in certain wetland habitats. The legislation was intended to reduce the incidence of lead poisoning of wetland birds caused by ingested and embedded shotgun pellets. We evaluate the effectiveness of this legislation by estimating the number of ducks shot in England with lead shot. We also assess the effectiveness of awareness-raising actions about the regulations, including an advocacy campaign intended to encourage compliance, and an undertaking by the UK Government to examine ways to improve compliance and enforcement. We estimate that about 13 million ducks have been shot illegally using lead shotgun ammunition in England since 1st September 1999 - an annual average of approximately 586,000 and representing approximately 70% of the total ducks shot. There was no detectable decline in the number of ducks killed using lead shotgun ammunition following the awareness-raising publicity and advocacy campaign by shooting and countryside management organisations. The government review of implementation and enforcement of the Regulations on the level of this wildlife crime was not followed by any new prosecutions. There has been one prosecution for an offence under the Lead Shot Regulations. We conclude that the 1999 Regulations and attempts to promote compliance with them have effected only a small reduction in the use of lead shotgun ammunition in wetlands in England.

Marination increases the bioavailability of lead in game meat shot with lead ammunition

As a consequence of the toxicological lead characteristics, a reduction of its exposure should consider all sources. Game meat might contain elevated levels of lead due to the use of lead ammunition. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of acidic marination on the bioavailability of ammunition-derived lead in game meat (Roe deer), using the growing pig as an animal model. Furthermore, the study should provide evidence that the large-area scattering of lead particles leads to noticeable differences in the individual lead intake per game meat portion. Pigs of group A (n 7) received lead-shot game meat, which was cooked in water. Pigs of group B (n 7) received lead-shot game meat, which was first marinated (wine and vinegar) and then cooked. The lead content of both game meat preparations was equal with 0⋅77–0⋅79 mg Pb/portion. Pigs of group C (n 4) received lead-free game meat, which was also marinated and cooked. Additionally, lead acetate was administered intravenously to group D pigs (n 4). Blood samples were taken on elevated time points before and after game meat intake/i.v.-application. The acidic marination increased the bioavailability of orally ingested lead, resulting in significantly higher blood lead concentrations. The bioavailability of lead was 2⋅7 % when game meat was just cooked and 15 % when the meat was marinated before. The considerable variation of the individual blood lead concentrations suggests that an inhomogeneous distribution of ammunition-derived lead particles (in terms of size and number) causes individually non-comparable lead intakes from the consumption of game meat.

The Influence of Hard Hat Design Features on Head Acceleration Attenuation

This study evaluated the performance of 6 commercially available hard hat designs—differentiated by shell design, number of suspension points, and suspension tightening system—in regard to their ability to attenuate accelerations during vertical impacts to the head. Tests were conducted with impactor materials of steel, wood, and lead shot (resembling commonly seen materials in a construction site), weighing 1.8 and 3.6 kg and dropped from 1.83 m onto a Hybrid III head/neck assembly. All hard hats appreciably reduced head acceleration to the unprotected condition. However, neither the addition of extra suspension points nor variations in suspension tightening mechanism appreciably influenced performance. Therefore, these results indicate that additional features available in current hard hat designs do not improve protective capacity as related to head acceleration metrics.