L'avvelenamento dapiombo nei rapaci necrofagi

AlessandroAndreottiIstitutoSuperioreperlaProtezioneelaRicercaAmbientale

Leadpoisoning inscavenging raptors

Ingestion oflead shot pellet

Why ducks ingest shot pellets?• similar size ofgrit• similar size ofseeds

Whyshotpelletsareretainedinthegizzard?• thegritisnormallyretainedinthegizzardto

grindtheingestedfood

2-3lead pellets causeacutepoisoning ordeath

Contentofagizzard ofaCommonPochard (Aythya ferina)withingestedandsteel shot pellets

Mateo etal.2014LeadPelletIngestionandLiver-LeadReducingPb poisoning inbirdsandPbexposureingamemeatconsumers:ThedualbenefitofeffectivePb shotregulation. EnvironInternat 63:163-168.

50sand60s:many studies inNorthAmericaandEurope70s:lead piosoning recognised as amajorthreat forwaterbirdslate70s:firstlocal bansearly 90s:extended bans

estimatedmortality:2-3%

(1million ofducks peryear inEurope)

Photofromhttps://theconversation.com

Photofromhttps://http://www.alamy.com

Uplandgranivourus birds

Kreager et al.2008LeadPelletIngestionandLiver-LeadConcentrationsinUplandGameBirdsfromSouthern Ontario,Canada.ArchEnvironContam Toxicol54:331-336.

Drawing:U.Catalano

Fisheret al.2006Arewiewof Leadpoisoning fromammunition sources interrestrial birds.Biological conservation 131:421–432.

Scavenging raptors

vultureskiteseagles

buzzards

Photo:M.Piacentino

Photo:M.Piacentino

Biggamehunting

Photofromhttps://www.all4shooters.comPhotofromhttps://www.savonanews.it

Hunt et al.2006Bullet fragments inDeer remains:implications for Lead exposure inAvianscavengers.Wildlife SocietyBulletin 34(1):167-170.

Bullet fragmentation

Knott et al.2010ImplicationsforwildlifeandhumansofdietaryexposuretoleadfromfragmentsofleadriflebulletsindeershotintheUK. ScienceoftheTotalEnvironment95-99.

1,2goflead/deeronaverage

16ppm (mg/kg)oflead

Venison contamination

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

roedeer chamois wildboar reddeer

4 148 32

14 3210 32

Bassietal.2014Ilrischio disaturnismo negli uccelli necrofagi inrelazione alleattuali modalità dicaccia agli ungulati. Atti delXVIConvegnoItaliano diOrnitologia:450-457.

Green: leadfree

Yellow: contaminated

Leadcontamination insmallgame

Andreottietal.2016Leadammunition residues inthemeat ofhunted woodcock:apotential health risk toconsumers.Ital JAnimalScience15:22–29.

Falket al.2006Embedded lead shot andinfliction ratesinCommonEiders andKingEiderswintering insouthwest Greenland.Wildlife Biology 12(3):257-265

Eiders inGreenland(n=879):22% withembedded shot pellets

Onaverage1.7-2.2pelletsperinjuried bird

Mateo etal.2014Lead Pellet Ingestion and Liver-LeadReducing Pb poisoning in birds and Pbexposure in game meat consumers: Thedual benefit of effective Pb shotregulation. Environ Internat 63:163-168.

• comaanddeath

• permanentneurologicalandbehaviouralalterations

Acutepoisoning

Photo:S.Pesaro

• physiologicalandbehaviouralalterations

• damagestomucosa

weightloss,loweringofimmunologicdefences

Cronic poisoning

• Systemicdisorders

digestive functions

kidneyclearance

bloodpressure

nervous systemreproductiveperformances

production of redblood cells

Decrease of 6.2 IQ points as blood lead increases from <1 to 10 µ g/dL

Kosnett 2009Health Effects of Low Dose Lead Exposure in Adults and Children, and Preventable RiskPosed by the Consumption of Game Meat Harvested with Lead Ammunition. In Watson etal. (eds.). Ingestion of Lead from Spent Ammunition: Implications for Wildlife and Humans. ThePeregrine Fund, Boise, Idaho, USA: 24-33.

Californiacondor

Photofromhttps://it.wikipedia.org

Cade 2007Exposure of California Condors to Lead from Spent Ammunition. J Wildl Manag71(7):2125-2133.

Low reproductive rateSexual maturity:8years

Breedingrate:0,25-0,35juv/female/year(1chick in2years)

Survival rate:Juveniles0,90Adults 0,98

Minimal lifespan:18-23years

Actions toprevent lead poisoning invultures

Photo:M.Piacentino

Avoid theuseof:

- carcasses ofanimals killed withlead ammunition (always!)

- carcasses ofanimals potentially injuried bylead ammunition (ifnot cheked forlead)

1. Precaution intheuseofcarcassesofwildanimals infeeding stations

- ontherisks forthehumanhealth

- ontherisks forraptors

- onalternativeammunition

2.Toraise awareness among hunters

Photofromhttp://www.isprambiente.gov.it/it/pubblicazioni/rapporti/il-piombo-nelle-munizioni-da-caccia-problematiche-e-possibili-soluzioni

Mateo R.,Rodríguez-de laCruzM.,Vidal D.,RegleroM.&Camarero P.,2007Transferof lead from shot pellets to gamemeat during cooking.TheScienceof theTotalEnvironment,372(2-3):480-5.

à Hightemperature(100-240°C)

à LowpH(acidingredients)

Solubilisation oflead duringcooking

Health risks forhumans

Johansen P,PedersenHS,Asmund G&Riget F.2006Lead shot from hunting as asourceof lead inhumanblood.Environmentalpollution,142(1):93-7.

à 1,5μg/dlinhumans not consuminggamemeat

à 12,8μg/dlingamemeat eaters

Increase oflead inhumanblood

We need toacquiremoredataon

- lead poisoning frequency

- seasonality ofpoisoning

- effectivenessoftherapies

3.Tocollect dataonlead poisonig ofraptors

Photo:M.Dallavalle andC.Moro

Modify laws andregulations onhunting

- at alocal level

- forsomehuntingpractices

- atnationallevel,introducingageneralisedban

4.Tointroducelegal bans forlead ammunition

Thankyouforyourattention!

Grazieperl’attenzione!Photo:JacopoAngelini