The Hidden Dangers of Lead Ammunition: Protecting Hunters, Wildlife, and Communities
Across the United States, hunting is a common pastime. For many people, it’s a way to spend time outdoors, bond with friends and family, and put food on the table. With millions of hunters nationwide, this community drives a substantial demand for ammunition. Each year, roughly 10 billion rounds are purchased, and nearly 90 percent of them contain lead.
Lead ammunition has been around for thousands of years—long before modern firearms existed. Evidence has shown that Greeks and Romans used lead balls in slingshots, relying on the metal for many of the same reasons it is used today. Lead is widely available, soft, and malleable, which lends it to being inexpensive and accessible to all hunters. Beyond tradition and cost, lead ammunition is also perceived by many hunters to be more accurate than ammunition made of other metals, even though research has shown this isn’t actually the case.
The problem is that lead is highly toxic. When it enters the environment or the human body, it can cause serious harm to soils, wildlife, and people. Hunters face unique risks because of how often they handle and use lead ammunition.
Lead from ammunition reaches people and the environment in two main ways: through airborne particles and through bullet fragments. When a gun is fired, tiny particles of lead are released into the air, where they can settle on clothing, skin, and nearby land. Even more concerning are lead fragments left behind when a bullet breaks apart inside an animal. These fragments can spread throughout the meat in pieces so small they can’t be seen or detected when eating.
Human Health and Lead Ammunition
When it comes to ammunition-related exposure, lead fragments pose the greatest risk to human health. Unlike airborne particles, fragments allow lead to be directly ingested, often in larger amounts. This risk doesn’t stop with the hunter—anyone who eats meat contaminated with lead fragments can be affected.
When lead is ingested, it moves through the bloodstream to the brain, liver, kidney and bones, where it can cause an increased risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems, kidney damage, and reproductive issues. The body does not easily eliminate lead; instead, it is stored in bones and teeth, where it can build up for years. Under certain conditions, such as stress or pregnancy, stored lead can be released back into the bloodstream, extending its harmful effects.
Children are especially vulnerable to lead exposure. Because of their smaller body size, even small amounts of lead can have a much stronger impact. In addition to the health issues seen in adults, lead exposure can interfere with brain development in children, affecting learning and behavior. Pregnant women also face heightened risks, as lead can be passed to the developing fetus, reducing growth and even causing premature birth.
Environmental Consequences
When a gun is fired, aerosolized lead doesn’t simply disappear—it settles onto nearby soil and plants, contributing to long-term contamination of the landscape. Lead also enters the environment during field dressing, the common practice of removing a harvested animal’s internal organs and leaving the entrails at the kill site. Any fragments of lead in the entrails can therefore be left in the field, exposing both the soil and scavenging animals to this toxic metal.
Scavenging animals are especially vulnerable, with birds facing the greatest risk. Large birds of prey such as bald eagles, California condors, and golden eagles frequently ingest lead when feeding on contaminated remains. Numerous studies have identified ammunition-based lead as the main source for heavy lead poisoning in these birds. This exposure can have catastrophic consequences, with nearly half of existing bald eagles exhibiting chronic lead poisoning as a result.
Environmental Justice
The impacts of lead ammunition extend far beyond hunters, with potentially serious consequences for already vulnerable communities. Each year, food banks across the United States receive more than two million pounds of donated game meat. A large portion of this meat comes through the National Rifle Association’s Hunters for the Hungry initiative, which operates in more than 40 states and allows hunters to donate harvested animals to local food banks.
While programs like this play an important role in providing protein to families facing food insecurity, they can also unintentionally introduce health risks. A 2008 study found that 15 percent of venison samples from Wisconsin food banks tested positive for lead, and similar results have been reported in other states. For families who rely on donated food, this exposure adds an avoidable burden, raising important questions about equity, public health, and the hidden costs of lead-based ammunition.
Lead ammunition poses real risks to human health, threatens wildlife populations, and can impact vulnerable communities that rely on donated game meat. Hunters have long played a crucial role in conservation and ecosystem management, and addressing lead exposure is consistent with those values. As safer, non-lead ammunition alternatives become more available and affordable, transitioning away from lead presents an opportunity to protect hunters, their families, wildlife, and food-insecure populations alike. Reducing reliance on lead ammunition is not about ending access to ammunition, but about evolving it in a way that safeguards both public health and the environment for generations to come.