Centro de Investigación Veterinaria Tandil (CONICET-CIVETAN), Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Tandil, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Programa de Conservación Comunitaria del Territorio, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Tandil, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2021 Aug;28(31):42432-42443. doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-13654-7. Epub 2021 Apr 4.
Consumption of meat from animals hunted with Pb ammunition can cause toxic accumulation with consequent health risks, even if relatively small amounts are consumed in each exposure. In El Palmar National Park, Argentina, invasive alien mammals, wild boar (Sus scrofa) and axis deer (Axis axis), are culled with Pb ammunition and their meat is consumed. In this study, we evaluated blood Pb concentrations in 58 consumers of culled game and examined Pb exposure risk according to their demographics, duty, and consumption habits. Likewise, the likelihood of exposure was evaluated by quantifying Pb concentrations in meat samples of seven culled axis deer. Twenty-seven participants (46%) had detectable blood Pb levels (limit of detection = 3.3 μg/dL), with an average 4.75 ± 1.35 μg/dL (geometric mean ± geometric S.D.); the average for all participants was 3.25 ± 1.51 μg/dL. Blood Pb concentrations were significantly higher in hunters, in participants who reported consuming game meat more than 5 times per week, and in participants who reported frequently consuming cured game meat (compared to cooked or pickled). Pb concentration varied significantly along the trajectory of the bullet in deer muscle, being highest at mid-point but with detectable Pb levels even in distant tissue samples (control), suggesting potential for dietary intake by consumers. These findings provide evidence of Pb exposure risk in consumers and emphasize the relevance of replacing Pb ammunition with non-toxic alternatives. This change would reduce dietary exposure in frequent consumers and allow the use of game meat as safe food for people whilst eliminating collateral risks to wild animals and the environment.
食用使用 Pb 弹药猎捕的动物的肉可能导致有毒物质积累，从而带来健康风险，即使每次暴露的摄入量相对较小。在阿根廷的 El Palmar 国家公园，入侵的外来哺乳动物野猪（Sus scrofa）和轴鹿（Axis axis）被使用 Pb 弹药猎杀，其肉被食用。在这项研究中，我们评估了 58 名食用猎获野味的消费者的血液 Pb 浓度，并根据他们的人口统计学、职责和饮食习惯检查了 Pb 暴露风险。同样，通过量化 7 只被猎杀的轴鹿的肉样本中的 Pb 浓度来评估暴露的可能性。27 名参与者（46%）的血液 Pb 水平可检测到（检测限=3.3μg/dL），平均浓度为 4.75±1.35μg/dL（几何平均值±几何标准差）；所有参与者的平均值为 3.25±1.51μg/dL。血液 Pb 浓度在猎人、每周报告食用野味超过 5 次的参与者以及经常食用腌制野味的参与者中显著更高（与煮熟或腌制的相比）。Pb 浓度在鹿肌肉中弹丸轨迹上有显著差异，在中点最高，但即使在遥远的组织样本（对照）中也可检测到 Pb 水平，表明消费者可能通过饮食摄入 Pb。这些发现为消费者的 Pb 暴露风险提供了证据，并强调了用无毒替代品替代 Pb 弹药的重要性。这种变化将减少频繁消费者的饮食暴露，并允许将野味肉作为安全食品供人类食用，同时消除对野生动物和环境的附带风险。
