ECHA (the European Chemicals Agency) estimate that 19,000+ tonnes of lead is deposited into the environment in Europe each year (this excludes shooting clay pigeons and similar sport shooting activities, see here).
Based on estimates from the ammunition industry the Lead Ammunition Group estimate that 2000 tonnes of that is deposited in the UK (see here, page 60).
This suggests that 10% of the lead deposited in the EU from hunting each year is in the UK which occupies about 5% of the EU’s land area. Of course, we shoot at an awful lot of Pheasants…
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Lead is a a very toxic material, particularly to infants and can result in damage to the brain if ingested. This was the reason all lead pipes delivering our drinking water was removed from every household in our country after the Second World War.
Many readers of this blog will be unaware that driven grouse shooting on several water catchments in northern England continues to deposit lead shot upon huge areas of moorland where red grouse, pheasant and partridge are shot. This activity to all intent and purpose is unregulated and should not be taking place on moorland used to collect rain water which is then distributed to hundreds of thousand of water company customers.
To estimate the tons of lead shot deposited on grouse moors since the Second World War would be difficult, never the less even a few tons is unacceptable. The true amount is very likely to be much greater in reality, but because no one knows is it safe to continue depositing more and more lead each year onto water catchments increasing the risks to our water supplies?
Terry – I think you are barking up the wrong tree here, actually. Water companies need to test the quality of their water and react to any problems. When I asked UU about this they appeared unworried and I think I probably trust them on this https://markavery.info/2019/03/22/thank-you-united-utilities/
It’s difficult to find any non-aligned reporting about the weathering of lead shot in soils. I found a report once that bemoaned the fact that a clay-pigone shooting site in the South had shut because the deposition of shot over its organic-farming neighbour threatened his “Organic” status. A GB clay-shooting medalist was unable to continue killing frisbees for fun. Well – Boo-Hoo!
There are rules about the lead content of receiving soils used for biosolids recycling but these only apply to allow or disqualify that activity. Afaik no-one determines soil lead content – or any other potentially toxic stuff – just for fun.
As for lead content in mains water – I’m with Mark on that. Even though it often tastes so horrible I boil it first and mix it with ground roasted coffee beans before drinking, safe in the knowledge that there is an awful lot of lead in Brazil.
Thanks Mark, lets hope that United Utilities are correct. The detail below is very interesting and provides some assurances, however I feel depositing large amounts of lead shot on heather moorland used as a water catchment is not acceptable regardless of the assurances provided by United Utilities. I often wonder if moorland birds pick up and swallow the lead shot they may find amongst the heather; if they do what affect would their be if any?
Both Brita Faucet Systems and Brita Longlast Filters help to reduce 99% of lead present in tap water plus other contaminants like Chlorine, Asbestos, Benzene, Ibuprofen and Bisphenol A (BPA). We also know that lead is now removed from paint and petrol.
I met a gamekeeper in the Forest of Bowland years ago who told me he has contracted stomach cancer; he was concerned that for many years he had been drinking raw water during the summer from the becks throughout his moorland beat. There was no evidence his particular cancer had been the result of the water he had consumed. Sadly the cancer resulted in his premature death.
terry – thanks. I’d rather that lead wasn’t used at all, but I don’t think lead is carcinogenic, it has other impacts (but I’m not that sort of doctor!). Any gamekeepers you know are more likely to have elevated lead levels through their diets – all that lead-shot game! I also imagine that gamekeepers’ and other estate workers’ children are one of the groups most at risk from lead as I imagine they are fed large amounts of such meat from an early age.
According to Wikipedia “Death rates from a variety of causes have been found to be higher in people with elevated blood lead levels; these include cancer, stroke, and heart disease, and general death rates from all causes. Lead is considered a possible human carcinogen based on evidence from animal studies” https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_poisoning#CITEREFMerrill07
It would be great to have a guest blog from a specialist into the impact of lead on human health.
I find fascinating that some of the symptoms of chronic lead poisoning include Neuro-muscular tremors, pain, weakness, loss of coordination etc particularly to the extremities and can cause foot (& hand) drop and that Sir Ian Botham uses and promotes a Electronic Muscular Simulator (Revitive). In a video for the company Ian Botham shares his story of the discomfort to his extremities and that of a pal Morris who worked as a gamekeeper on the moors who shared his neuro-muscular problems. It made me think that they could possibly both be treating the symptoms of chronic lead poisoning.
The NHS online advise for foot drop includes electrical nerve stimulation. So I could imagine that such a product could be effective in the management of such lead poisoning symptoms.
Perhaps once lead shot is banned the health of shooters will be seen to improve including some of those other symptoms – hearing loss, blindness, slurred speech, hallucinations, insomnia, decreased libido, delirium, depression, irritability, memory loss, cognitive defects, personality changes etc. Maybe it will noticeably help improve engagement with shooters on issues surrounding their environmental impact and links to wildlife crime.
Wikipedia also mentions the non reversible impact of lead poisoning on children whose adverse health, cognitive, and behavioral effects that follow them into adulthood. It points to a lead–crime hypothesis which is the proposed link between elevated blood lead levels in children and increased rates of crime, delinquency, and recidivism later in life. So maybe it will take a generation before we see the full benefit of banning lead shot.
World Health Organisation: ” At lower levels of exposure that cause no obvious symptoms lead is now known to produce a spectrum of injury across multiple body systems. In particular lead can affect children’s brain development resulting in reduced intelligence quotient (IQ), behavioural changes such as reduced attention span and increased antisocial behavior, and reduced educational attainment. Lead exposure also causes anaemia, hypertension, renal impairment, immunotoxicity and toxicity to the reproductive organs. The neurological and behavioural effects of lead are believed to be irreversible.
There is no known ‘safe’ blood lead concentration; even blood lead concentrations as low as 5 µg/dL, may be associated with decreased intelligence in children, behavioral difficulties and learning problems. As lead exposure increases, the range and severity of symptoms and effects also increases.”
I am fairly sure that on Yorkshire water land the shooting tenants are required to use non-toxic shot rather than lead, although I suspect this not at all checked upon.
I too knew that keeper and although in my capacity at the time as an RSPB species protection warden for Hen Harriers he could be considered and indeed was a problem. He was also a fellow human being and when his cancer returned and spread to his liver I visited him several times. I was promised by a then UU employee ( no not you Terry!) that he would let me know when the funeral was but I never got that call and didn’t attend the funeral. I have always regretted that as I had told Peter ( the keeper) I would be there, thus I have always had a grievance with the person who failed to tell me.
Going back to lead the sooner it is banned and superseded by non-toxic shot the better.
There is the problem, when it comes to the huntin, shootin, and fishin brigade, then unless you are really right up on their back all the time about obeying the rules, they deliberatly go out and flout them. There are still anglers using lead weights, and they are doing it because lead is banned for fishing weights, and they want to be all “nobody tells me what to do”; you gotta keep on at them at all times.