ENVIRONMENTAL LEAD POLLUTION: THE POLITICAL ISSUES IMPEDING RESOLUTION VERNON G. THOMAS PROFESSOR EMERITUS DEPARTMENT OF INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH THIRD AGE LEARNING FEBRUARY 18, 2015.
PROPERTIES OF LEAD VALUABLE TO SOCIETY OVER 3 THOUSAND YEARS - UBIQUITY OF LEAD ORES, EASILY SMELTED TO METALLIC LEAD - LOW MELTING POINT & LOW CORROSION RATES - ALLOYS WITH OTHER METALS AND IS EASILY FASHIONED INTO OBJECTS: SHEETINGS, PIPES, PEWTERS, SOLDERS - ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES: BATTERIES, CIRCUIT BOARDS - LEAD COMPOUNDS HIGHLY VALUED AS: PIGMENTS IN PAINTS & PLASTICS, GLASS ADDITIVES, GASOLINE ADDITIVES, DRYING AGENTS, SWEETENERS. - HIGH DENSITY, 11.3 G/ML: WEIGHTS, MUNITIONS
LEAD & ITS TOXICITY TO ANIMAL LIFE TOXICITY OF ABSORBED LEAD TO HUMANS IS KNOWN FOR AT LEAST 2,000 YEARS DIOSCORIDES, 2C BC, IN DE MATERIA MEDICA LEAD DOTH MAKE THE MIND GIVE WAY PARACELSUS; EARLY 1500s FATHER OF TOXICOLOGY
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (1786) EARLY OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE PATHOLOGY OF LEAD POISONING IN HUMANS. WORKED IN LEAD INDUSTRIES OF BOTH THE USA AND EUROPE 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.
IF WE WERE TO JUDGE OF 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
THE MAD GOD SATURN DEVOURING HIS SON SATURNISME (FR) = LEAD POISONING
WHY IS ABSORBED LEAD TOXIC TO ANIMAL LIFE? - METALLIC LEAD EASILY DISSOLVES IN MILD ACIDS OF STOMACH, RAIN - IONIC LEAD HAS SAME RADIUS AS THAT OF CALCIUM - THE TROJAN HORSE EFFECT, BODY READILY ABSORBS LEAD - LEAD INTERFERES WITH MANY FUNCTIONS NORMALLY REGULATED BY CALCIUM - LEAD ATTACHES TO S SITES ON KEY ENZYMES AND IMPEDES ACTION ADVERSE ACTIONS ON: - BLOOD SYSTEM, NO NEW BLOOD CELLS - NERVOUS SYSTEM ESP. BRAIN DEVELOPMENT, IQ, & BEHAVIOUR - IMMUNE SYSTEM COMPROMISED - REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM, NON-VIABLE SPERM - RENAL SYSTEM AND LIVER FUNCTION - GENOTOXIC AND CARCINOGENIC
HOW DOES LEAD ENTER WILDLIFE AND THEIR HABITATS? 1: FISHING WEIGHTS HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER. 1 SINKER IS ENOUGH FOR FATAL POISONING IN 2-3 WEEKS.
2: SPENT GUNSHOT IN MARSHES AND FIELDS
Stevenson et al. 2005. Arch. Env. Contam. Toxicol. 48: 405 Bone Pb: 19μg Pb/g (1995): 21μg Pb/g (2000) (20μg Pb is serious!!!) Butler et al. 2005. Wild. Soc. Bull. 33: 583 Bone Pb: N = 98. Ave. 49μg Pb/g (Range 7-445) Scheuhammer et al. 2003 11% of IMMATURES in prairie Canada had bone>>10μg Pb/g
2: LEAD GUNSHOT IN WOUNDED WATERFOWL OBSERVED CONFESSED ABOUT 23% OF LIVE CANADA GEESE IN S. ONTARIO CARRY EMBEDDED GUNSHOT IN BODY THIS POSES A RISK TO SCAVENGERS THAT EVENTUALLY EAT THEM DEATHS OF US EAGLES IN 1960-1990 FROM LEAD POISONING WAS THE REASON USA BANNED LEAD SHOT USE FOR WATERFOWL HUNTING
3: LEAD FROM SPENT RIFLES BULLETS IN TISSUES OF GAME LEAD BULLET FRAGMENTS IN DISCARDED CARCASSES AND GUTPILES ARE EATEN BY CONDORS, EAGLES, AND OTHER SCAVENGERS. THIS IS THE MAJOR CONCERN FOR CONDORS. LEAD CORE BULLETS BREAK UP ON ENTRY AND MAY LOSE 40+% OF INITIAL WEIGHT. BULLET LEAD FRAGMENTS IN DEER CARCASS, 30 CM SPREAD FROM ENTRY. HUMANS WHO EAT MEAT ALSO INGEST LEAD FRAGMENTS.
THE PARADOXICAL SITUATION HUMAN HEALTH LEAD IN PAINT LEAD IN GASOLINE LEAD IN GLAZES/SOLDERS LEAD IN FOOD & WATER WILDLIFE HEALTH LEAD IN WETLAND SPP LEAD IN UPLAND SPP LEAD IN PREDATORS & SCAVENGERS LEAD IN BIG GAME LEAD IN PISCIVORES SOCIETY HAS ACTED ON ISSUES AFFECTING HUMAN HEALTH LITTLE FACILITATION AMONG LEAD POISONING ISSUES IN WILDLIFE
WHY SO LITTLE ACTION ON ENVIRONMENTAL LEAD POLLUTION? ARGUMENTS USED BY PRO-LEAD FACTIONS - SEGREGATION OF ISSUE: HUMAN VS. WILDLIFE, FISHING V. HUNTING - RUSE TO END SHOOTING & ANGLING - DENIAL OF EVIDENCE AMONG SPORTING COMMUNITIES - INADEQUACY OF SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE - ACCEPTED COST OF THESE SPORTS - SUBSTITUTES ARE TOO EXPENSIVE - SUBSTITUTES ARE NOT AS EFFECTIVE AS LEAD PRODUCTS - WE MUST WAIT FOR CHEAPER, MORE EFFECTIVE SUBSTITUTES
WHAT ARE THE SUBSTITUTES? FISHING WEIGHTS TIN, STAINLESS STEEL, TUNGSTEN-PLASTICS, TUNGSTEN ALLOYS. ALL ARE PROVEN NON-TOXIC TO WILDLIFE. GUNSHOT COATED SOFT IRON, TUNGSTEN-PLASTIC, TUNGSTEN-ALLOYS, BISMUTH- TIN ALLOY. ALL PROVEN TO BE NON-TOXIC TO WILDLIFE & ENVIRONMENT. US & CDN REGULATIONS DEMAND TESTING OF SUBSTITUTES. RELATIVE COSTS: IRON SHOT IS SAME PRICE AS LEAD SHOT, TUNGSTEN-BASED SHOT ~9 TIMES MORE EXPENSIVE, BISMUTH-TIN ~6 TIMES MORE EXPENSIVE. RIFLE AMMUNITION PURE COPPER, OR GILDING METAL (95% Cu, 5% Zn) BULLETS. SAME PRICE AS LEAD BULLET AMMUNITION.
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE SO FAR?: 1-1991, USA, NATION-WIDE BAN ON LEAD SHOT FOR WATERFOWL HUNTING TO PROTECT EAGLES (NATIONAL EMBLEM) - 1999, CANADA BANS LEAD SHOT USE FOR WATERFOWL HUNTING - 1996 LEAD SINKER BAN IN ALL CANADIAN NATIONAL PARKS. (NO BAN IN PROVINCIAL PARKS). - 1996 DENMARK & HOLLAND BAN ALL LEAD SHOT & SINKERS FOR HUNTING & SHOOTING & ANGLING - POST 2000, SOME OTHER COUNTRIES REQUIRE LEAD SHOT SUBSTITUTES FOR WETLAND HUNTING (E.G. SPAIN, UK, AUSTRALIA) - SPORADIC BANS ON LEAD SINKERS IN 3 US STATES
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE SO FAR?: 2-2006, CALIFORNIA. RIDLEY-TREE CONDOR PRESERVATION ACT PASSED. LEAD RIFLE BULLETS REQUIRED IN ALL STATE CONDOR REGIONS - ARIZONA: VOLUNTARY USE OF LEAD-FREE BULLETS - UTAH: NO ACTION TO COMPLEMENT CA INITIATIVE - 2013, CALIFORNIA. AB711 PASSED. IN 2019, ALL HUNTING IN CA TO BE DONE WITH LEAD-FREE AMMUNITION. - CALIFORNIA IS FIRST US STATE TO GO THIS FAR. (BUT NO SIMILAR ACTION ON LEAD SINKERS OR USE OF LEAD FOR TARGET SHOOTING) PIECE-MEAL APPROACH NO JURISDICTION IN THE AMERICAS, EUROPE, OR ELSEWHERE HAS BANNED LEAD USE FOR ALL SHOOTING AND ANGLING, DESPITE EVIDENCE
UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME: CONVENTION ON MIGRATORY SPECIES 2014 RESOLUTION: ALL NATIONS SHOULD PHASE OUT USE OF LEAD AMMUNITION WITHIN 3 YEARS. PROTECT ALL REGIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL FLYWAYS, ESPECIALLY MIGRATORY CORRIDORS AND WINTERING AREAS
DOES LEAD IN GAME POSE A HUMAN HEALTH RISK?. INGESTED SHOT CAN RAISE BLOOD Pb LEVELS, & CAUSE APPENDICITIS. LIVERS & KIDNEYS OF SOME WATERFOWL SHOT IN MEDITERRANEAN REGIONS HAVE HIGH Pb LEVELS, & EXCEED EU REGULATIONS FOR OFFAL. THIS IS OF CONCERN FOR PEOPLE WHO EAT A LOT OF GAME, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN
BULLET LEAD FRAGMENTS IN THE THORAX OF A DEER FROM A SINGLE 7mm BULLET. LEAD FRAGMENTS ARE IN HEART LUNGS AND MUSCLES
END OF A HUNT IN GERMANY: RED DEER, ROE DEER, & WILD BOAR UN FAO DATA, 2008: 38, 024 TONNES OF GAME MEAT EXPORTED/IMPORTED WITHIN EUROPEAN UNION. VALUE; 416 M$US
LEAD IN GAME: RISKS TO HUMANS. NATIVE CONSUMPTION OF SHOT GAME MEAT NO REGULATIONS IN PLACE
THE CURRENT COMPONENTS OF THE TOXC LEAD ISSUE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE OF LEAD EXPOSURE AND RISK TO WILDLIFE AND HUMANS DEVELOPMENT OF LEAD-FREE SUBSTITUTES FOR SINKERS, SHOT & BULLETS PROMOTION INHIBITION SPORTING COMMUNITY THAT OPPOSES TRANSITION TO LEAD-FREE SHOT & BULLETS EU & UK FOOD STANDARDS AGENCIES GOVERNMENT REGULATION TO REQUIRE USE OF LEAD-FREE AMMUNITION UNEP INTERNATIONAL TREATY RESOLUTIONS TO END LEAD USE
SO WHAT AM I DOING? 1: PUBLISH ARTICLES IN INTL. LITERATURE TO PROVIDE BASIS FOR ACTION. (BIBLE ANALOGY) 2:WORK DIRECTLY WITH GOVERNMENTS: CANADA, SPAIN, UK, DENMARK, CALIFORNIA, RHODE ISLAND, UNEP, TO CHANGE REGULATIONS. PROVIDE INVITED SEMINARS WITH POSITION PAPERS. 3: PETITION OLYMPIC COMMITTEE TO END USE OF LEAD SHOT IN OLYMPIC EVENTS AND ALL QUALIFICATIONS. >> I TON SHOT RELEASED, ANNUALLY, BY ALL COMPETITIVE OLYMPIC SHOOTERS. THIS SHOT IS RARELY RECOVERED.
ARTICLES IN MAGAZINES (TROFEO) FOR HUNTERS IN SPAIN & SOUTH AMERICA