title: Reducing Pb poisoning in birds and Pb exposure in game meat consumers: the dual benefit of effective Pb shot regulation.
abstract: The use of lead (Pb) ammunition in the form of shot pellets has been identified as a Pb exposure risk in wildlife and their human consumers. We explore the hypothesis that Pb shot ban enforcement reduces the risk of avian Pb poisoning as well as Pb exposure in game meat consumers. We assessed compliance with a partial ban on Pb shot commencing in 2003 by examination of 937 waterbirds harvested by hunters between 2007 and 2012 in the Ebro delta (Spain). Prevalence of Pb shot ingestion was determined, as were Pb concentrations in liver and muscle tissue to evaluate the potential for Pb exposure in game meat consumers. Hunted birds with only embedded Pb shot (no steel) declined from 26.9% in 2007-08 to <2% over the following three hunting seasons after ban reinforcement. Pb shot ingestion in mallards decreased from a pre-ban value of 30.2% to 15.5% in the post-ban period. Liver Pb levels were predominantly defined by the presence of ingested shot, whereas muscle levels were defined by the presence of both ingested and embedded shot. Only 2.5% of mallard muscle tissue had Pb levels above European Union regulations for meat (0.1μg/g wet weight) in the 2008-09 season, when Pb shot ingestion prevalence was also at a minimum (5.1%). Effective restrictions in Pb ammunition use have a dual benefit since this reduces Pb exposure for game meat consumers due to embedded ammunition as well as reducing Pb poisoning in waterbirds.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain. Electronic address: rafael.mateo@uclm.es.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mateo
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain.
authors.forename: Núria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vallverdú-Coll
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: López-Antia
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; Environmental Research Institute, University of the Highlands and Islands, Castle St, Thurso, Caithness, Scotland KW14 7JD, UK.
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Taggart
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; IMAR - Instituto do Mar, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martínez-Haro
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Raimon
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guitart
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain.
authors.forename: Manuel E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Ortiz-Santaliestra
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds; D004435:Eating; D005062:European Union; D005506:Food Contamination; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000592:standards*; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000662:veterinary*; D008460:Meat / Q000633:toxicity*; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D007854:Lead
keywords: Dietary exposure; Environmental policy; Non-toxic ammunition; Pb poisoning; Regulatory compliance; Waterfowl