Lead
Impacts intellectual development in children.
Shot & Bullets
In the EU and UK at least lead is still used in shot (the small metal spheres found in shotgun cartridges) & bullets. Whilst this poses little direct risk to humans, when used in the countryside for hunting purposes this leads to the contamination of waterways, fields, forests and wetlands. Wildfowl frequently die from lead poisoning as they often mistake shot for grit and consume it.
This article from the UK government: Toxic lead ammunition banned to protect Britain’s countryside states that restricting shot lead content to no more than 1% and bullet content to no more than 3% will prevent the release of 7,000 tons of lead into the environment. These restrictions will come into force between 2028 and 2029.
Fishing Tackle
Paint
Petrol
Tetraethyl lead was added to petrol (aka gasoline) from the 1920s through to the early 2000s. Leaded petrol began to be phased out in the mid 1970s, was banned in Canada in 1990, become unavailable for domestic use in the US in 1995 and was banned in the European Union in 2002. 1
Can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin.
Pipes
Water
Lead is one of many chemicals responsible for large-scale negative health effects through drinking water exposure.
References
Metadata
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Last Updated: 2026-03-30