Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Study shows need to cut use of lead ammunition
A small study has added to evidence of the risk from eating game shot with lead ammunition. Sam Russell and Philip Bowern report
MORE evidence of the risk of eating game meat from animals shot using lead ammunition has given extra impetus to moves to phase out the material from use in the UK.
Shooting organisations are working towards a voluntary switch away from lead ammunition in response to growing concerns from supermarkets and other game meat retailers about the risk from consuming small pieces of lead shot in pheasant, partridge and other gamebirds.
The Government is also consulting on a potential compulsory ban, which would force those who shoot to move to steel, bismuth and other non-toxic materials for use in shotgun cartridges and rifle bullets used on live quarry intended as food.
Now a new study has confirmed earlier evidence that people eating pheasant killed by lead shot are “unwittingly eating” toxic lead. Although the researchers admit the amount of lead consumed “would not be a great cause for concern” he said consuming similar amounts week in and week out over many years could be a risk.
Researchers examined the carcasses of eight wild-shot pheasants, killed on a farmland shoot using lead shotgun ammunition and on sale in a UK butcher’s shop.
They found small lead fragments embedded in every pheasant, in addition to lead shotgun pellets in seven of them.
Lead shotgun pellets often fragment on impact within the bodies of game birds, leaving small lead particles in the meat which are difficult for consumers to detect and remove.
The researchers found up to 10mg of tiny lead shards per pheasant, all of which were much too small to be detected by eye or by touch.
Lead is toxic to humans when absorbed by the body and there is no known safe level of exposure.
It accumulates in the body over time and can cause long-term harm, including increased risk of cardiovascular disease and kidney damage in adults.
It is known to lower IQ in young children, and affect the neurological development of unborn babies.
Professor Rhys Green, of Cambridge University’s Department of
By eating pheasant people are unwittingly eating lead – which is toxic PROF RHYS GREEN, CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY
Zoology, said: “While lead gunshot continues to be used for hunting, people who eat pheasants and other similar game birds are very likely to be also consuming a lot of tiny lead fragments.
“It seems to have been widely assumed in the past that a lead shot embedded in a pheasant carcass remained intact, and could be removed cleanly before the pheasant was eaten – removing any health risk. Our study has shown the extent to which this is really not the case.
“By eating pheasant, people are also unwittingly eating lead, which is toxic.”
Prof Green, who is first author of the study, continued: “One pheasant is a reasonable meal for two or three people. Consuming this much lead occasionally wouldn’t be a great cause for concern – but we know that there are thousands of people in the UK who eat game meat, often pheasant, every week.”
Around 11,000 tonnes of meat from wild-shot game birds, mostly pheasant, are eaten in the UK every year, according to the study, and virtually all pheasants shot in the UK for human consumption are killed using lead shot.
The researchers used a high-resolution CT (computerised tomography) scanner to locate the lead fragments in the pheasant meat in three dimensions, and measure their size and weight. The meat was then dissolved, allowing the larger fragments to be extracted and analysed further to confirm they were lead.
An average of 3.5 lead pellets and 39 lead fragments of less than 1mm wide were detected per pheasant, and the smallest fragments were 0.07mm wide. The lead pieces were widely distributed within the birds’ tissues and some of the small fragments were more than 50mm from the nearest lead shot pellet.
Prof Green added: “It’s rare for people eating game meat to accidentally eat a whole lead shot, because they’re cautious about damaging their teeth and know to check for lead shotgun pellets in the meat.
“But the lead fragments we found in pheasant carcasses were so tiny and widely distributed that it’s very unlikely they would be detected and removed.”
There are no UK or EU regulations about the maximum allowable levels of lead in human food from wildshot game animals.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is currently preparing a case for banning the use of lead ammunition for hunting in the UK, and the European Chemicals Agency is doing the same for Europe.
Steve Bloomfield, BASC executive director of operations, said: “The Food Standards Agency provides comprehensive advice on the consumption of wild game shot with lead ammunition.
“Its guidance is proportionate to the risks and, noting this, wild game remains a healthy, tasty and sustainable meat.
“The shooting sector has committed to a voluntary transition away from lead shot and single-use plastics for live quarry shooting.
“This proactive move will help secure the future of sustainable shooting and the wild game market.
“Even in the face of substantial global supply chains issues the transition is making progress, with the development of new non-lead products.
“It is essential that the shooting community and the market are given adequate time to make the move.”
The research is published in the journal PLOS One.