Hunting and lead contamination: building for a change in Argentina

FERREYRA, H; ROMANO, M; BELDOMENICO, PM; CASELLI, A; POSTMA, J; UHART, M

Puerto Iguazú

Conferencia; LVII Annual International Conference of the Wildlife Disease Association; 2010

Wildlife Disease Association

Argentina has recently joined the long list of countries facing lead pollution from spent gunshot. During 2007 and 2008, in an area subjected to sports hunting in Santa Fe province, we detected high levels of lead in ducks and the environment. Examination of gizzards and bones from five duck species showed 4.34 to 31.25% (n=268) ingestion prevalence, while 16 to 69% (n=251) of bones had lead levels above the toxicity threshold (>10ppm dry weight). A preliminary estimate of lead pellet densities in natural wetland sediment showed 2 to 35 pellets per m2 at four study sites. Based on hunting licenses, the amount of lead introduced annually into the environment from spent gunshot in Santa Fe province alone ranges from 9 to 15 tons. As in other parts of the world, the replacement of lead for non-toxic material would be a reasonable and immediate solution to this problem. Our study provided scientific support to convene a working group including government, academia, hunting organizations, non governmental organizations and private entities. The major outcome of this discussion group was the recognition of lead toxicity as an environmental and health problem that must be addressed, as it could become a substantial threat for the conservation of wildlife and wetlands in the region. In this context, the first steps towards the replacement of toxic ammunition in the country are underway.