Lead Fumes Research Paper

According to the 2004 Edition of Best Management Practices for Environmental Stewardship of Florida Shooting Ranges published by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Division of Waste Management, “Human exposure to lead has been identified as a major health concern. Soil and water can also be adversely affected by uncontrolled dispersion of the metals associated with shooting.” When an officer shots at the range, lead can enter the body by inhalation or absorption. Lead can be inhaled when lead dust, mist, or fumes are in the air. The most common source of this contamination comes from firing ammunition with lead primers. When the ammunition is fired, the lead primer oxidizes with the lead bullet base causing a release of lead fumes into the air. These fumes are inhaled by the officer. The amount of lead fumes inhaled is directly related to the type of firing range the officer is training on. There would be more of an exposure if the officer is shooting at an indoor range rather than if the officer was shooting at an outdoor range. If an officer absorbs lead through his/her skin, the lead would enter the bloodstream and circulates throughout the body. Some of the lead that is absorbed is processed by the kidneys and then excreted from the body. The lead that does not get processed right away is stored in the organs
and bones.
Adults that receive an excessive lead exposure may suffer from the following: difficulties during pregnancy; reproductive problems; high blood pressure; digestive problems; neurological disorders; memory and concentration problems; muscle and joint pain; and kidney
dysfunction. In addition to the health related concerns, law enforcement officers also have environmental concerns at the ranges they use. Excessive use of lead bullets at a range that does not follow an environmental stewardship program can cause contamination to the groundwater and soil. The closer the groundwater is to the soil surface, the greater the potential for dissolved lead to contaminate the water supply. In addition to the exposure to the groundwater, direct ingestion of lead bullet fragments is the most important exposure pathway for wildlife. Shooting range soils that may have elevated lead levels from the weathering of bullets may also be inadvertently ingested by wildlife while feeding. Another source of exposure comes from vegetation around the shooting ranges. Lead is absorbed through the soil by plants and then transferred to birds and wildlife during ingestion of the plants.