Lead exposure in free-flying Turkey vultures is associated with big game hunting in California
Predatory and scavenging birds are at risk of lead exposure when they feed on animals injured or killed by lead ammunition. While lead ammunition has been banned from waterfowl hunting in North America for almost two decades, lead ammunition is still widely used for hunting big game and small game animals. In this study, we evaluated the association between big game hunting and blood lead concentration in an avian scavenger species that feeds regularly on large mammals in California.
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0015350