Host: The Japanese Society of Toxicology
Name : The 51st Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Toxicology
Date : July 03, 2024 - July 05, 2024
Lead poisoning in wild birds has long been known in waterfowls, and it is often caused by ingestion of lead shots for waterfowl hunting, mistaken for grits that accumulate in the gizzard to aid digestion. Cases due to feeding of lead sinkers have also been identified. In birds of prey, it has been confirmed that a large number of eagles suffer from lead poisoning by foraging on the residues of deer shot by lead bullets.
Health hazards caused by lead in wild birds have a high fatality rate in the case of poisoning, and in cases with clinical symptoms, it is difficult to completely cure even with detoxification treatment. It is not uncommon for patients to be forced to undergo long-term treatment due to rebound caused by lead accumulation in the bones. Long-term lead exposure can lead to poor health, and there are concerns about ecological effects such as breeding and migration.
Impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity include the frequent occurrence of direct health hazards to endangered raptors due to scavenging of hunting residues, in the more dominant adult birds. It poses a great risk to strong individuals who can get limited food resources, and it can be said that it is an extremely important problem for species conservation because it affects the reproduction of the next generation. In addition, about 16% of ducks were contaminated with high concentrations of lead in a capture survey conducted in Honshu, but the substance of lead contamination in wild birds is difficult to understand, especially the widespread effects on migratory birds and the impact on ecosystems through the food chain. There are also concerns about the long-term impact on wild birds due to past remnants, such as risk of waterfowl feed on lead shotgun shots scattered throughout the environment.
One of the effects of lead contamination in wild birds on humans is the health hazard caused by ingesting lead components through game meat. There is a global warning against the use of meat from game animals that may have residual lead bullets, as well as duck and pheasant meat contaminated with lead due to ingestion of lead shots.
From the perspective of One Health, there is an urgent need for the early elimination of lead hunting ammunition.
