Prevalence of lead exposure among age and sex cohorts of Canada geese

Abstract

1992. Prevalence of lead exposure among age and sex cohorts of Canada geese. Can. J. Zool. 70: 901-906. We examined the of lead exposure from ingestion of waste lead shot among age and sex cohorts of Canada geese (Branta canadensis) on the breeding, migration, and wintering grounds of the Eastern Prairie Population. Blood samples from 6963 geese were assayed for lead concentration by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. On the breeding grounds, no goslings and < 1 % of adults showed evidence of recent exposure to lead shot (i.e., concentrations in the blood elevated above the threshold value of 0.18 pprn lead). However, median background blood lead concentrations (i.e., blood samples with <O. 18 pprn lead) were higher in adults than goslings, indicating that exposure of adults to lead had occurred during previous seasons. Waste lead shot was available on the migration and wintering grounds, where a larger proportion of the blood samples from immatures ( < 1 year old) than adults ( > 1 year old) had lead concentrations 20.18 ppm. Median background lead levels remained higher in adults than in immatures throughout fall and winter. We also found that more immature males than immature females had elevated lead concentrations. Higher rates of intake of food and grit (including shot) probably partially account for the higher prevalence of elevated lead concentrations in immature Canada geese.

Lead-Shot Exposure in Red-Legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa) on a Driven Shooting Estate

“…Indeed, elevated Pb levels in partridge livers were positively related to shot ingestion. Neither age nor sex influenced Pb concentrations in liver, which is in contrast to several studies on waterfowl species (e.g., refs and ). The good concordance between the presence of shot in gizzards and Pb concentrations in livers suggests recent exposure to Pb shot .…”