The presence of lead in the environment is reduced worldwide.
The heavy metal control and reduction policies implemented in recent years are beginning to bear fruit Efforts to reduce the presence of harmful metals in the environment, such as lead, have been successful. leadThe efforts to reduce the presence of harmful metals such as lead in the environment are beginning to show positive results in those places where strict control measures were implemented years ago. The Spanish government has already announced that it will ban hunting ammunition by 2025. hunting ammunition hunting ammunition and lead fishing tackle. At the moment, they are only banned in wetlands (from 2023) throughout the European Union (EU), where an estimated 20,000 tons of lead are shot every year and end up in the environment. Lead, at high levels, causes permanent damage to the brain and nervous system, which can lead to convulsions, loss of muscle control, coma, anemia, hypertension, kidney dysfunction, immunotoxicity, toxicity to reproductive organs and in some cases even death, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In children, it directly affects development during the growth stage. In recent months, Italy and Portugal have rejected consignments of Spanish wild boar meat contaminated by lead used in hunting. And, according to a recent study commissioned by SEO/BirdLife, all wild birds are affected by lead poisoning due to the ingestion of lead from hunting ammunition. Meanwhile, in some countries lead has already been banned for both hunting and fishing. One such country is Australia, where a study by Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA), led by Minna Saaristo, examined levels of arsenic, cadmium, mercury, chromium, zinc and lead in wild ducks in the Victorian region.
Control policies work
The results were generally encouraging: “The study shows that most species have metal concentrations below tolerable daily levels for humans and that metal concentrations in the environment are decreasing,” explains Saaristo. The data collected by the researchers suggest that policies to control and reduce heavy metals are beginning to bear fruit. heavy metals that have been implemented in recent decades in that country in key products, such as gasoline, paints and hunting cartridges, are beginning to bear fruit. One of the most important findings of the study was that lead concentrations in the duck species tested are “well below 5% of the tolerable daily intake level for adults and children, regardless of portion size,” Saaristo notes. This information is significant, as lead has long been a matter of public concern due to its detrimental effects on health, especially in children, who are more vulnerable to exposure to this metal. According to the researchers, the elimination of lead in gasoline and paints, as well as the replacement of lead hunting cartridges in the region, have been “the most influential factors” in decreasing lead concentrations in aquatic ecosystems. “Our findings underscore the importance of maintaining rigorous, evidence-based policies to manage trace element contamination in aquatic environments,” Saaristo says. Despite progress in reducing lead, the study highlights that some heavy metals are still present in the environment. “Although lead concentrations have decreased markedly, trace elements continue to accumulate in wild game species, albeit at low levels,” the research team notes.
Latent threat
The study reveals that mercury remains a concern, particularly in filter-feeding species, which could have implications for human health if consumed in large quantities. In addition to analyzing the local situation in Victoria, the study also reviewed more than 40 previous investigations on the presence of lead in the liver and muscles of different duck species around the world, from the 1970s to the present. The results were clear: lead concentrations have decreased globally. “Our analysis shows a clear downward trend in liver lead concentrations in duck species globally since the 1970s,” the report states. “This is the first study to identify this trend globally, highlighting the importance of legislative policies to limit the entry of trace elements into the environment,” comments Saaristo. Although the results are mostly positive, the study underlines the need to maintain “strict control” over heavy metal pollution, as the accumulation of some heavy metals, such as mercury, may still be a threat. The authors insist on the need to continue with policies to reduce heavy metals in the environment, as well as to implement “more innovative and effective” solutions to protect both human and ecosystem health. While the study offers a hopeful outlook, the researchers stress that it should also serve as a “reminder” that, despite progress, heavy metal pollution remains “a latent threat, requiring continued and sustained action.” Reference report: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S026974912401663
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