Ingestion of Lead from Spent Ammunition: Implications for Wildlife and Humans

Proceedings of the Conference Ingestion of Spent Lead Ammunition: Implications for Wildlife and Humans. 12-15 May 2008, Boise State University, Idaho, United States of America Scientific evidence of the effects of lead on human health has brought forth large scale restrictions on its use, including the prohibition of lead in gasoline and paint. Responses on behalf of wildlife have been less forthcoming, but Bald Eagle consumption of contaminated ducks and geese contributed to the 1991 ban on lead shot for waterfowl hunting in the United States. Lead ammunition is still used in the US for purposes other than waterfowl harvest, and the extent to which lead is secondarily ingested by wildlife and humans has been the subject of recent investigations. An important step in understanding this problem is gathering relevant knowledge and scientific progress on these topics.