Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, UK.
PLoS One. 2010 Apr 26;5(4):e10315. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0010315.
Lead is highly toxic to animals. Humans eating game killed using lead ammunition generally avoid swallowing shot or bullets and dietary lead exposure from this source has been considered low. Recent evidence illustrates that lead bullets fragment on impact, leaving small lead particles widely distributed in game tissues. Our paper asks whether lead gunshot pellets also fragment upon impact, and whether lead derived from spent gunshot and bullets in the tissues of game animals could pose a threat to human health.
METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Wild-shot gamebirds (6 species) obtained in the UK were X-rayed to determine the number of shot and shot fragments present, and cooked using typical methods. Shot were then removed to simulate realistic practice before consumption, and lead concentrations determined. Data from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate Statutory Surveillance Programme documenting lead levels in raw tissues of wild gamebirds and deer, without shot being removed, are also presented. Gamebirds containing > or =5 shot had high tissue lead concentrations, but some with fewer or no shot also had high lead concentrations, confirming X-ray results indicating that small lead fragments remain in the flesh of birds even when the shot exits the body. A high proportion of samples from both surveys had lead concentrations exceeding the European Union Maximum Level of 100 ppb w.w. (0.1 mg kg(-1) w.w.) for meat from bovine animals, sheep, pigs and poultry (no level is set for game meat), some by several orders of magnitude. High, but feasible, levels of consumption of some species could result in the current FAO/WHO Provisional Weekly Tolerable Intake of lead being exceeded.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The potential health hazard from lead ingested in the meat of game animals may be larger than previous risk assessments indicated, especially for vulnerable groups, such as children, and those consuming large amounts of game.
铅对动物具有高度毒性。人类食用使用铅弹射杀的猎物时通常会避免吞下弹丸或子弹，因此这种来源的饮食性铅暴露被认为是低水平的。最近的证据表明，铅弹在撞击时会碎裂，导致小的铅颗粒广泛分布在猎物组织中。我们的论文提出了这样一个问题，即铅弹丸在撞击时是否也会碎裂，以及来自猎物组织中的用过的铅弹和子弹中的铅是否会对人类健康构成威胁。
方法/主要发现：对在英国获得的野生射猎鸟类（6 个物种）进行 X 射线检查，以确定存在的弹丸和弹丸碎片数量，并采用典型方法进行烹饪。然后取出弹丸以模拟实际食用前的情况，并测定铅浓度。还提供了来自兽医药品管理局法定监测计划的数据，该计划记录了未经去除弹丸的野生猎鸟和鹿的生组织中的铅含量。含有≥5 个弹丸的猎鸟组织具有较高的组织铅浓度，但有些含有较少或没有弹丸的组织也具有较高的铅浓度，这证实了 X 射线结果表明，即使弹丸从体内排出，小的铅碎片仍留在鸟类的肉中。来自这两项调查的高比例样本的铅浓度都超过了欧盟针对牛科动物、绵羊、猪和家禽肉类设定的 100ppb w.w.（0.1mgkg(-1) w.w.）的最大限量（野味肉类没有设定限量），有些样本的铅浓度超过该限量好几个数量级。一些物种的高但可行的消费水平可能会导致超过目前粮农组织/世界卫生组织暂定每周可耐受摄入量的铅。
结论/意义：从猎物肉中摄入的铅所带来的健康危害可能比以前的风险评估所表明的更大，尤其是对儿童和大量食用野味的弱势群体而言。
