Lead Shot Contamination in Edible Portions of Game Birds and Its Dietary Implications

ABSTRACT Lead exposure for First Nation Cree of the Mushkegowuk region (western James Bay area of northern Ontario, Canada) through ingestion of game hunted with lead shot is of concern and was investigated in this study. All lead concentrations in tissues of mammals (n = 45) and fish (n = 30) harvested in the Mushkegowuk Territory were at a level below the guideline set by Health Canada for human consumption of fish protein (i.e., <0.5 μg/g wet weight [ww]). No guidelines exist for game birds and mammals. However, livers of 2% (5/233) of the game birds collected showed lead concentrations> 0.5 μg/g ww. Moreover, 9% (33/371) of the gizzard (striated muscle) tissue samples obtained through harvesting of waterbirds and upland game birds employing lead shot, showed lead levels greater than the indicated arbitrary guideline. The presence of lead was shown by radiography and atomic absorption spectrometry to be the result of lead pellets and/or lead fragments being embedded in the striated muscle. People who consume any game species harvested with lead shot risk exposure to this metal by way of ingestion of tissue‐embedded lead pellets and fragments. Although Canada will be banning the use of lead shot for all migratory bird hunting in 1999, its extension to all game hunting should be considered because of potential human health concerns.