People who eat game killed with lead bullets may have slightly higher lead levels than those who don’t, concludes a Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study released in November.
North Dakota Department of Health officials requested the study last spring after x-rays showed varying degrees of lead particles in ground venison donated to food banks in North Dakota and Minnesota, forcing officials in those states to yank the burger from the shelves.
The study surveyed 738 North Dakota residents. Of those, 80 percent consumed wild game shot with lead, including deer and birds.
Researchers measured blood lead levels in micrograms per deciliter (dl). Average lead levels of those in the study were 1.17 micrograms/dl. Participants who consumed wild game averaged .30 micrograms/dl more lead in their blood than those who did not. The study also showed those who ate game within a month of the study had significantly higher lead blood levels than those who had not consumed it within a month.
While participant lead levels ranged from non‑detectable to 9.82 micrograms/dl, all were well below the 25 micrograms/dl “level of intervention” for adults. In fact, average participant lead levels of 1.17 micrograms/ dl were below the average American’s lead level, which is 1.60.
Should the average hunter and game meat consumer be worried about lead poisoning? No, says Dr. Stephen Pickard of the North Dakota Department of Public Health. But there is a statistically significant association of lead blood levels between those who consume game shot with lead and those who do not.
“The difference between the consumers and non‑consumers on average is small,” says Dr. Pickard. “For the typical adult consumer it would not be a major concern. But for the heavy consumer, pregnant women and children under 6, it is a concern.”
Dr. Pickard couldn’t define a “heavy consumer,” but for children 6 and under, and pregnant women, all lead exposure should be avoided, he says.
Lead exposure in young children can cause learning disabilities, stunted growth, kidney damage and ADD. Pregnant women also should avoid lead exposure as it can cause low birth-weight, premature birth and miscarriages.
Some state health and wildlife officials in the Midwest are now issuing recommendations to hunters, consumers and meat processors as to how best to avoid lead exposure from game meat.
Researchers found heavy-jacketed bullets fragmented the least, and Minnesota DNR is now recommending hunters use high-weight-retention bullets or non-lead alternatives, such as copper. Federal Premium has for years loaded Barnes all-copper bullets as its top-shelf loads, and most ammunition manufacturers now offer lead-free rounds in a variety of calibers.
Food banks that rely on hunter donated venison, especially in the Midwest, are working to adjust to the new findings. In North Dakota, food bank officials decided only to accept bow-killed deer for their pantries. “We’re asking bowhunters to spend a little more time in the tree stand,” says Ann Pollert, executive director of the North Dakota Community Action Partnership and statewide coordinator for the Sportsmen Against Hunger Program. For food banks, hamburger is the meat cut of choice, as it the most versatile for their consumers. But it also can contain the most lead, which is why Minnesota food banks are accepting only whole cuts of meat this fall.
In the end, Dr. Pickard says, it’s a matter of individual choice. “Hunters have been very reasonable,” he says. “They’ve asked that we let them know the results when we know them. Now, you have the information you need and you can make your own personal decision.”
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