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.
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.
I looked into this a while back, and found that the main reason for an increase in lead began when smokeless, high velocity bullets displaced the ‘big and slow’ bullets of the blackpowder era.
The high velocity rounds go so fast, the bullets break up and spray an ultra fine lead shrapnel further into the muscle around the actual wound cavity, requiring that more of the meat near the wound be cut away and wasted to avoid the contaminated parts. In contrast, older slow bullets stay almost fully intact, meaning the surrounding meat can be cut very close to the wound without fear of contamination.
Most hunters either aren’t aware of this fact, or if they are, dismiss it so as not to be seen as a ‘lesser man’.
Nowadays there are solutions to this problem in the form of all-copper bullets for rifles, and steel shot for shotguns, which don’t use any lead in their construction.
In addition to the bullets themselves, the primer that disperses in your face has lead too. There’s a nice graphic here: https://projects.seattletimes.com/2014/loaded-with-lead/1/
Don’t be like RFK jr
The takeaway for me is that 1.2% of the participants eat roadkill.
Or trap rather than shoot.
Trapping rabbits used to be pretty popular in some areas of the country. It probably still is.
Well, it only makes those even dumber who eat this stuff, anyway. Normal people are not affected.
Careful review of butchering practices and monitoring of meat-packing processes may decrease lead exposure from wild game consumption.
So would just using steel shot, which is already a federal requirement for waterfowl hunting. (Or at least using nontoxic, non-lead shot is. Steel shot is just the most common.)
Another reason to never partake in hunting.
