![]() 7 Lead is ubiquitous in the environment and hence it is found at low concentrations in many organisms. 12 With reports of lead poisoning in Michigan and California (Lead poisoning afflicts neighborhoods across California, 2017, ), public awareness of the detrimental effect of lead has increased. children 1–5 y old with blood lead concentrations >0.24 µmol/L (5 µg/dL), the reference level at which the CDC recommends public health actions be initiated. 14, 16Īccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are ~500,000 U.S. Among the heavy metals that can be transferred to birds from the environment, lead is important because of its toxicity and potential to enter the human food chain through eggs and meat. ![]() 11 However, these birds are potentially exposed to heavy metals, pesticides, and other chemicals in the environment. Our study highlights the need for backyard chicken owners, veterinarians, and public health personnel to be aware of the risk of lead exposure and undertake preventive and surveillance measures.īackyard layer chickens are becoming increasingly common as a source of eggs in both rural and urban areas with the widespread belief that home-raised chicken eggs are healthier, safer, and more sustainable alternatives to commercial store-bought eggs. In most cases, neither the case history nor postmortem findings were indicative of lead intoxication without systematically testing all birds, some cases could have been missed. Only 34% of owners of lead-positive birds submitted eggs or environmental samples, indicating a lack of interest or financial concerns. Analysis of feed, water, and environmental samples did not identify a source of exposure in most cases. In some cases, estimated daily lead intake exceeded the recommended limits for lead consumption in children. Lead concentrations in 14 pooled egg samples were determined, and a conservative estimate of daily exposure of family members to lead was made based on egg consumption. The lead-positive cases were investigated by follow-up questions to the bird owners on the environment, general management of the flock, and egg consumption of family members. Over a period of 1 y, we tested 1,476 chicken livers, of which 45 were found to have lead concentrations of 0.9–41 µg/g. The potential public health concerns associated with lead exposure prompted us to systematically screen liver samples from backyard layers submitted to the diagnostic laboratory to estimate the prevalence of lead exposure. Backyard layer chickens may be exposed to a variety of metals in the environment, including lead.
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