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Hunting with lead: Association between blood lead levels and wild game consumption (www.sciencedirect.com)

submitted 1 week ago by Sunshine@lemmy.ca to c/health@lemmy.world

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Wild game hunting is a popular activity in many regions of the United States. Recently, the presence of lead fragments in wild game meat, presumably from the bullets or shot used for hunting, has raised concerns about health risks from meat consumption.

Results

Most participants reported consuming wild game (80.8%) obtained from hunting (98.8%). The geometric mean PbB were 1.27 and 0.84 μg/dl among persons who did and did not consume wild game, respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, persons who consumed wild game had 0.30 μg/dl (95% confidence interval: 0.16–0.44 μg/dl) higher PbB than persons who did not. For all game types, recent (<1 month) wild game consumption was associated with higher PbB. PbB was also higher among those who consumed a larger serving size (≥2 oz vs. <2 oz); however, this association was significant for ‘other game’ consumption only.

Conclusions

Participants who consumed wild game had higher PbB than those who did not consume wild game. Careful review of butchering practices and monitoring of meat-packing processes may decrease lead exposure from wild game consumption.

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[–] exothermic@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago

Apparently, lead bullets don’t just contaminate the animal that was shot. If the animal escapes after being shot, it could enter the food chain and affect other animals when they consume it. Additionally, there are animals that mistake spent lead bullets (that never made its mark) for food and end up consuming the lead bullet, thereby becoming contaminated. (Source)

As of 2023, lead bullets were banned in certain national wildlife areas. (Source)

However, the National Rifle Association (NRA) is actively opposing this ban. A quick search for “lead bullet ban” will provide an overview of their arguments. I prefer not to provide a link to their website to avoid inadvertently boosting their traffic. Essentially, their argument, as I understand it, is rooted in socioeconomic factors. Lead bullets and fishing weights are inexpensive, making them accessible to individuals with limited financial resources. They also deny the current scientific evidence supporting the ban. But, the research shared by OP should help build facts against their denial.