Deborah J Pain
Biographic Data
| ID | 6015769 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Deborah J Pain |
| GIVEN NAMES | Deborah J |
| FAMILY NAME | Pain |
| SIGNATURE | PAIN D J |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Cambridge |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-8142-9017 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 12 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 12 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 12 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2003 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
EU regulation
Lead is highly toxic to humans and other animals; thus, many uses have been restricted. One exception is lead ammunition, which remains a source of dietary exposure to humans and wildlife. In February 2025, the European Commission published draft regulations for habitat-wide lead ammunition restrictions to protect wildlife and human, particularly children’s, health. These require approval under EU processes. Under EU regulation, Maximum Levels (M…
Lead concentrations in commercial dogfood containing pheasant in the UK
UK and EU regulators are evaluating the potential health benefits of restricting the use of lead ammunition. Little information is available on exposure of pets to ammunition-derived dietary lead from petfood containing meat from wild-shot game animals. We found dogfood including wild-shot pheasant meat to be widely available in the UK. 77% of samples from three raw pheasant dogfood products exceeded the EU maximum residue level (MRL) for lead in…
How contaminated with ammunition-derived lead is meat from European small game animals? Assessing and reducing risks to human health
Small game animals are generally hunted with lead gunshot which often fragments causing elevated lead concentrations in meat and presenting health risks to frequent consumers and vulnerable groups. We reviewed three decades of European data on lead concentrations in the meat of gamebirds, rabbits and hares across countries with various restrictions on lead gunshot use. Mean meat lead concentrations decreased to a low level in Denmark, the only co…
Setting maximum levels for lead in game meat in EC regulations
Each year, hunters from 12 of the 27 European Union (EU) countries and the UK shoot over 6 million large game mammals, 12 million rabbits and hares and over 80 million birds. They support an international game meat market worth over 1.1 thousand million Euros. Animals shot with lead ammunition frequently contain lead fragments in the carcass which contaminate meals made from game meat with concentrations of lead substantially above the maximum al…
Effects of lead from ammunition on birds and other wildlife
Poisoning of wild birds following ingestion of lead from ammunition has long been recognised and considerable recent research has focused on terrestrial birds, including raptors and scavengers. This paper builds upon previous reviews and finds that both the number of taxa affected and geographical spread of cases has increased. Some lead may also be absorbed from embedded ammunition fragments in injured birds which risk sub-lethal and welfare eff…
Wildlife, human and environmental costs of using lead ammunition
A proposed European Union (EU)-wide restriction on the use of lead gunshot for shooting in and over wetlands estimated that the societal benefits of a restriction outweighed costs, despite few identified benefits being quantified economically. A subsequent Annex XV Investigation Report on the evidence of impacts of lead ammunition in terrestrial environments concluded that additional measures to control its use are warranted, although to date thi…
Risks from lead ammunition
Risks to human health from ammunition-derived lead in Europe
It has been known for centuries that lead is toxic to humans. Chronic exposure to lead, even at low levels, is associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease in adults and of impaired neurodevelopment and subsequent cognitive and behavioural development in the foetus and young children. Health agencies throughout the world have moved from assuming that there are tolerable levels of exposure to lead to a recognition …
Transition to lead-free ammunition benefits all
Health and Environmental Risks from Lead-based Ammunition
Lead (Pb) is toxic and is banned from gasoline, paints, and various household items in most developed countries. Lead ammunition, however, is still widely used for hunting and shooting, and is now likely the greatest, largely unregulated source of lead that is knowingly discharged into the environment in the USA (Health Risks from Lead-Based Ammunition in the Environment—A Consensus Statement of Scientists 2013; U.S. Geological Survey 2013). For …
Levels of Cadmium and Zinc in Soil and Plants Following the Toxic Spill from a Pyrite Mine, Aznalcollar, Spain
On 25 April 1998, a breach of the tailings dam of the Los Frailes pyrite mine in southwestern Spain resulted in the release of 6 million m3 of acidic water and toxic sludge high in heavy metals. Contaminated material extended 40 km downstream, affecting agricultural land and parts of the wildlife-rich Doñana Natural and National Parks, including the Entremuros, a very important area for birds. We report on the concentrations, distributions and bi…
Levels of Cadmium and Zinc in Soil and Plants Following the Toxic Spill from a Pyrite Mine, Aznalcollar, Spain
On 25 April 1998, a breach of the tailings dam of the Los Frailes pyrite mine in southwestern Spain resulted in the release of 6 million m3 of acidic water and toxic sludge high in heavy metals. Contaminated material extended 40 km downstream, affecting agricultural land and parts of the wildlife-rich Doñana Natural and National Parks, including the Entremuros, a very important area for birds. We report on the concentrations, distributions and bi…
Setting maximum levels for lead in game meat in EC regulations
Each year, hunters from 12 of the 27 European Union (EU) countries and the UK shoot over 6 million large game mammals, 12 million rabbits and hares and over 80 million birds. They support an international game meat market worth over 1.1 thousand million Euros. Animals shot with lead ammunition frequently contain lead fragments in the carcass which contaminate meals made from game meat with concentrations of lead substantially above the maximum al…
How contaminated with ammunition-derived lead is meat from European small game animals? Assessing and reducing risks to human health
Small game animals are generally hunted with lead gunshot which often fragments causing elevated lead concentrations in meat and presenting health risks to frequent consumers and vulnerable groups. We reviewed three decades of European data on lead concentrations in the meat of gamebirds, rabbits and hares across countries with various restrictions on lead gunshot use. Mean meat lead concentrations decreased to a low level in Denmark, the only co…
Risks from lead ammunition
Risks to human health from ammunition-derived lead in Europe
It has been known for centuries that lead is toxic to humans. Chronic exposure to lead, even at low levels, is associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease in adults and of impaired neurodevelopment and subsequent cognitive and behavioural development in the foetus and young children. Health agencies throughout the world have moved from assuming that there are tolerable levels of exposure to lead to a recognition …
Lead concentrations in commercial dogfood containing pheasant in the UK
UK and EU regulators are evaluating the potential health benefits of restricting the use of lead ammunition. Little information is available on exposure of pets to ammunition-derived dietary lead from petfood containing meat from wild-shot game animals. We found dogfood including wild-shot pheasant meat to be widely available in the UK. 77% of samples from three raw pheasant dogfood products exceeded the EU maximum residue level (MRL) for lead in…
Levels of Cadmium and Zinc in Soil and Plants Following the Toxic Spill from a Pyrite Mine, Aznalcollar, Spain
On 25 April 1998, a breach of the tailings dam of the Los Frailes pyrite mine in southwestern Spain resulted in the release of 6 million m3 of acidic water and toxic sludge high in heavy metals. Contaminated material extended 40 km downstream, affecting agricultural land and parts of the wildlife-rich Doñana Natural and National Parks, including the Entremuros, a very important area for birds. We report on the concentrations, distributions and bi…
Levels of Cadmium and Zinc in Soil and Plants Following the Toxic Spill from a Pyrite Mine, Aznalcollar, Spain
On 25 April 1998, a breach of the tailings dam of the Los Frailes pyrite mine in southwestern Spain resulted in the release of 6 million m3 of acidic water and toxic sludge high in heavy metals. Contaminated material extended 40 km downstream, affecting agricultural land and parts of the wildlife-rich Doñana Natural and National Parks, including the Entremuros, a very important area for birds. We report on the concentrations, distributions and bi…
Health and Environmental Risks from Lead-based Ammunition
Lead (Pb) is toxic and is banned from gasoline, paints, and various household items in most developed countries. Lead ammunition, however, is still widely used for hunting and shooting, and is now likely the greatest, largely unregulated source of lead that is knowingly discharged into the environment in the USA (Health Risks from Lead-Based Ammunition in the Environment—A Consensus Statement of Scientists 2013; U.S. Geological Survey 2013). For …
Effects of lead from ammunition on birds and other wildlife
Poisoning of wild birds following ingestion of lead from ammunition has long been recognised and considerable recent research has focused on terrestrial birds, including raptors and scavengers. This paper builds upon previous reviews and finds that both the number of taxa affected and geographical spread of cases has increased. Some lead may also be absorbed from embedded ammunition fragments in injured birds which risk sub-lethal and welfare eff…
Wildlife, human and environmental costs of using lead ammunition
A proposed European Union (EU)-wide restriction on the use of lead gunshot for shooting in and over wetlands estimated that the societal benefits of a restriction outweighed costs, despite few identified benefits being quantified economically. A subsequent Annex XV Investigation Report on the evidence of impacts of lead ammunition in terrestrial environments concluded that additional measures to control its use are warranted, although to date thi…
Risks from lead ammunition
Risks to human health from ammunition-derived lead in Europe
It has been known for centuries that lead is toxic to humans. Chronic exposure to lead, even at low levels, is associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease in adults and of impaired neurodevelopment and subsequent cognitive and behavioural development in the foetus and young children. Health agencies throughout the world have moved from assuming that there are tolerable levels of exposure to lead to a recognition …
Transition to lead-free ammunition benefits all
Setting maximum levels for lead in game meat in EC regulations
Each year, hunters from 12 of the 27 European Union (EU) countries and the UK shoot over 6 million large game mammals, 12 million rabbits and hares and over 80 million birds. They support an international game meat market worth over 1.1 thousand million Euros. Animals shot with lead ammunition frequently contain lead fragments in the carcass which contaminate meals made from game meat with concentrations of lead substantially above the maximum al…
How contaminated with ammunition-derived lead is meat from European small game animals? Assessing and reducing risks to human health
Small game animals are generally hunted with lead gunshot which often fragments causing elevated lead concentrations in meat and presenting health risks to frequent consumers and vulnerable groups. We reviewed three decades of European data on lead concentrations in the meat of gamebirds, rabbits and hares across countries with various restrictions on lead gunshot use. Mean meat lead concentrations decreased to a low level in Denmark, the only co…
Lead concentrations in commercial dogfood containing pheasant in the UK
UK and EU regulators are evaluating the potential health benefits of restricting the use of lead ammunition. Little information is available on exposure of pets to ammunition-derived dietary lead from petfood containing meat from wild-shot game animals. We found dogfood including wild-shot pheasant meat to be widely available in the UK. 77% of samples from three raw pheasant dogfood products exceeded the EU maximum residue level (MRL) for lead in…
EU regulation
Lead is highly toxic to humans and other animals; thus, many uses have been restricted. One exception is lead ammunition, which remains a source of dietary exposure to humans and wildlife. In February 2025, the European Commission published draft regulations for habitat-wide lead ammunition restrictions to protect wildlife and human, particularly children’s, health. These require approval under EU processes. Under EU regulation, Maximum Levels (M…
Heavy Metal Exposure and Toxicity (10 works) · Mercury impact and mitigation studies (10 works) · Ammunition (9 works) · Heavy metals in environment (9 works) · Biology (8 works) · Environmental Science (8 works) · Ecology (6 works) · Geography (6 works) · Business (5 works) · Ecology (5 works)