LEAD REDUCTION: THE SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES PREVENTING PROGRESS

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1 LEAD REDUCTION: THE SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES PREVENTING PROGRESS Vernon G. Thomas Professor Emeritus Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph 3 rd Age Learning: November 1, 2017.

2 QUICK REVIEW: LEAD IS PRESENT IN THE HUMAN ENVIRONMENT AS: - PAINTS, LEAD-CORE BATTERIES, GASOLINE, SOLDERS, CRYSTAL GLASS, HEAVY WEIGHTS, AMMUNITION, FISHING WEIGHTS, POTTERY GLAZES. 1: INGESTED LEAD IS HIGHLY TOXIC, ESPECIALLY TO CHILDREN <~7 YRS. OLD. 2: LEAD & CALCIUM: THE TROJAN HORSE ANALOGY 3: TOXICITY KNOWN FOR OVER 2,000 YRS. 4: IT IS THE MOST WELL-STUDIED TOXIC HEAVY METAL WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: THERE IS NO SAFE THRESHOLD LEVEL FOR BLOOD LEAD IN HUMANS.

3 TWO + MILLENIA & THOUSANDS OF RESEARCH PAPERS. EARLY AWARENESS OF LEAD POISONING IN HUMANS DIOSCERIDES, ~ 200BC LEAD MAKES THE MIND GIVE WAY PARACELSUS, ( ) IDENTIFIED LEAD TOXICITY IN MINERS & METAL SMELTERS PARACELSUS: OBSERVED THAT THE EFFECT IS IN THE DOSAGE.

4 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 1786 THIS MISCHIEVOUS EFFECT OF LEAD IS AT LEAST ABOVE 60 YEARS OLD, AND YOU WILL OBSERVE WITH CONCERN HOW LONG A TRUTH MAY BE KNOWN AND EXIST, BEFORE IT IS RECEIVED AND PRACTICED ON.

5 IF WE WERE TO JUDGE THE INTEREST EXCITED BY ANY MEDICAL SUBJECT BY THE NUMBER OF WRITINGS TO WHICH IT HAS GIVEN BIRTH, WE COULD REGARD THE POISONING BY LEAD AS THE MOST IMPORTANT TO BE KNOWN OF ALL THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN TREATED OF, UP TO THE PRESENT TIME ORFILA, 1817

6 LEAD THE OLDEST METAL, & SATURN, THE FATHER OF THE GODS SATURNISM (FRENCH) = LEAD POISONING SATURN WAS ALSO MAD RUBENS GOYA

7 PROGRESSIVE AWARENESS & PHASE-OUT OF LEAD USE IN HUMAN ENVIRONMENT. ~ 100BC, EPIDEMIC OF LEAD GOUT AND STERILITY IN ROMAN ARISTOCRACY. 1887, US DIAGNOSES LEAD TOXICOSIS IN CHILDREN. 1909, FRANCE, AUSTRIA & BELGIUM BAN WHITE LEAD PAINT. 1921, USA, NATIONAL LEAD CO. ADMITS LEAD IS TOXIC. 1978, US BANS WHITE LEAD PAINT (<0.06%). CANADA, , AMER. ASSN. PEDIATRICS LINKS LEAD TO IQ DEFICITS & COGNITIVE DISORDERS. 1996, OECD: LEAD HIGHEST ON HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES LIST. 2002, EU BANS LEADED GASOLINE. 2004, WHO LEAD IDENTIFIED LEAD AS MOST IMPORTANT CHILD NEURO- TOXIN

8 ISSUES OF HUMAN HEALTH DIVORCED FROM HEALTH OF WILDLIFE SOURCES OF LEAD EXPOSURE IN WILD LIFE & HUMANS. LEAD SHOT USED FOR HUNTING SMALL GAME & TARGET SHOOTING (APPROX 80,000 TONNES RELEASED /YR, GLOBALLY). LEAD FISHING WEIGHTS USED BY ANGLERS. LEAD RIFLE BULLETS USED TO TAKE BIG GAME. ISSUES OF INGESTION BY AVIAN & MAMMALIAN PREDATORS & SCAVENGERS OF LEAD EXPOSED BODIES & PARTS. HUMANS CONSUMING SHOT GAME (BY RIFLE & SHOTGUN)

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10 PROGRESS, TO DATE, ON REMOVING LEAD FROM SPORTING USE USA BANS LEAD SHOT FOR WATERFOWL HUNTING, NATIONALLY CANADA ENACTS SIMILAR NATIONAL LEGISLATION PRESENT, SEVERAL EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AND OTHERS BAN LEAD SHOT USE OVER WETLANDS ON LIMITED BASIS CANADA BANS LEAD SINKERS IN NATIONAL PARKS. - 3 US STATES (NH, VT, NY) BAN SALE, USE, POSSESSION OF SINKERS TO PREVENT LOON POISONING. - SOME US STATES RESTRICT LEAD SHOT FOR UPLAND HUNTING ON A RESTRICTED BASIS CALIFORNIA WILL BAN ALL USE OF LEAD AMMUNITION FOR HUNTING ON ALL LANDS.

11 WHY NO PROGRESS? A WELL-CRAFTED GLOBAL OPPOSITION PACKAGE COMPRISING: - DENIAL OF EVIDENCE BY HUNTING /SHOOTING LOBBY. - ISSUE SEEN AS ATTACK ON HUNTING & SHOOTING. - INADEQUACY OF EVIDENCE CITED BY LOBBIES. - SUBSTITUTES COST MORE, SO REJECTED BY LOBBIES. - SUBSTITUTES ARE DEEMED LESS EFFECTIVE THAN LEAD. - SOME US AGENCIES FEAR THAT REDUCED HUNTING WILL CAUSE LOSS OF CONSERVATION REVENUE FROM FEWER LICENCE SALES. - PROGRESSIVE LEGISLATION REPEALED, AS IN NORWAY AND USA. - CREATION OF POPULAR MYTHS TO PREVENT TRANSITION TO LEAD- FREE PRODUCTS. - POWER OF ROYALS AND POLITICAL ELITE IN EUROPE AND OTHER NATIONS.

12 THE CURRENT COMPONENTS OF THE ISSUE 3: FOOD STANDARDS AGENCIES 1: SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE OF LEAD EXPOSURE AND RISK TO WILDLIFE AND HUMANS 2: DEVELOPMENT OF LEAD-FREE SUBSTITUTES FOR SINKERS, SHOT & BULLETS GOVERNMENT REGULATION TO REQUIRE USE OF LEAD-FREE AMMUNITION 4: INTERNATIONAL TREATY RESOLUTIONS TO REGULATE LEAD USE

13 1: THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE : 570 SCIENTIFIC PAPERS IN PEER-REVIEWED, INTERNATIONAL JOURNALS THAT SHOW RELATION BETWEEN LEAD FROM SPENT LEAD AMMUNITION AND LEAD EXPOSURE IN WILDLIFE. - PAPERS INDICATE THAT OVER 100 SPECIES ARE AFFECTED IN COUNTRIES WHERE SHOOTING OCCURS. THIS IS AN INTERNATIONAL ISSUE. - EXPOSURE LINKED TO POPULATION DECLINES FOR SOME SPECIES. - MORE RECENT EVIDENCE POINTS TO EXPOSURE OF HUMANS WHO EAT LEAD PARTICLES FROM SHOT GAME (SHOT AND RIFLE BULLETS). - BIG ISSUE FOR NORTHERN NATIVE COMMUNITIES. - GAME MEAT SOLD IN EUROPE HAS LEAD LEVELS EXCEEDING LIMITS IN DOMESTIC MEATS.

14 2: DEVELOPED LEAD-FREE SUBSTITUTES FISHING WEIGHTS TIN TUNGSTEN STAINLESS STEEL HUNTING RIFLE BULLETS COPPER BULLETS MADE IN EUROPE & USA FOR ALL CALIBERS SHOTGUN CARTRIDGES: TUNGSTEN, BISMUTH, STEEL

15 3: FOOD SAFETY CONCERNS RAPIDLY-GROWING NUMBER OF PEER- REVIEWED, SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL PAPERS PERTAINING TO ISSUE. 1: LEAD LEVELS IN SHOT GAME MEATS EXCEED STANDARDS FOR DOMESTIC MEAT. - BOAR, MOOSE, DEER MEAT IN EUROPEAN MARKETS - PHEASANT, DUCK MEAT IN EUROPEAN MARKETS - MOOSE MEAT IN QUEBEC 2: CONCERNS ABOUT INGESTED LEAD FROM HUNTED MEAT TO NATIVE PEOPLE IN CANADA AND GREENLAND, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN AND PREGNANT WOMEN. 3: SEVERAL GOVERNMENT HEALTH AGENCIES POST HEALTH ADISORY NOTICES RE. EATING LEAD-CONTAMINATED GAME MEAT TO PREGNANT WOMEN.

16 4: INTERNATIONAL TREATY OBLIGATIONS TO REDUCE LEAD USE IN SHOOTING/HUNTING UNEP. INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ON MIGRATORY SPECIES. RESOLUTION: PARTIES SHALL ENDEAVOUR TO PHASE OUT LEAD AMMUNITION USE WITHIN 3 YEARS - CANADA HAS SIGNED CONVENTION, BUT IS NOT PARTY TO IT. EUROPEAN UNION IS A MAJOR PARTY UNITED NATIONS LAUNCHES POLLUTION-FREE PLANET PROGRAMME. LEAD FROM AMMUNITION IS REGARDED AS A MAJOR SOURCE OF HEAVY METAL POLLUTION.

17 THE CURRENT COMPONENTS OF THE ISSUE. THE STRANGLE HOLD ON PROGRESS SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE OF LEAD EXPOSURE AND RISK TO WILDLIFE AND HUMANS DEVELOPMENT OF LEAD-FREE SUBSTITUTES FOR SINKERS, SHOT & BULLETS SPORTING COMMUNITIES THAT OPPOSE TRANSITION TO LEAD-FREE SHOT, BULLETS, & SINKERS FOOD STANDARDS AGENCY GOVERNMENT REGULATION TO REQUIRE USE OF LEAD-FREE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL TREATY RESOLUTIONS TO REGULATE LEAD USE