Performing Department
ENVIRONMENTAL & POPULATION HEALTH
Non Technical Summary
Public perception widely holds that lead poisoning in the U.S. is no longer an environmental and public health threat. Although the elimination of lead from gasoline and some consumer products in the U.S. and several other countries has significantly improved the situation, evidence shows that people, domestic animals and wildlife continue to be impaired or die due to lead toxicosis each year. To date no organization has attempted to bring together -- in a way that would truly interest policy makers and the public -- information about all the forms of lead that enter our environment and the ways that a wide variety of species (including people) are impacted by lead toxicosis. This book will be the culmination of my many years of studying lead poisoning in common loons and other wildlife and is intended for a sophisticated lay audience. This book will represent the first conservation medicine approach to a common pathological condition that is worldwide in scope.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
25%
Applied
50%
Developmental
25%
Goals / Objectives
Public perception widely holds that lead poisoning in the U.S. is no longer an environmental and public health threat. Although the elimination of lead from gasoline and some consumer products in the U.S. and several other countries has significantly improved the situation, evidence shows that people, domestic animals and wildlife continue to be impaired or die due to lead toxicosis each year. It has become apparent that the experts in one area of lead toxicosis (such as childhood poisoning) know little to nothing about efforts being made in other areas (such as loons in New Hampshire, farm animals, or California condors). In an effort to create a more unified and constructive dialogue on the subject, Tufts Center for Conservation Medicine (TCCM) at the Cummings School plans to develop a book and web materials to inform the public and policy makers and help them understand the linkages among the health of all species and the threats posed by lead (Pb). It is our hope
that such knowledge, presented in a popular form to attract a broad audience, will help to build collaborative bridges leading to more effective research and policy. Much of this effort will be an expansion of work that has been done in New Hampshire in collaboration with the US Fish & Wildlife Service and the Loon Preservation Committee and funded, in part, by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. The immediate goal of this project is to build on our experiences from New Hampshire to educate a broad audience and encourage interdisciplinary collaborations. The longer term goal is to encourage the development of state, national (and international) policies to further limit the introduction of this toxic element into the environment. Our efforts in crossing disciplinary boundaries will help to forge new collaborative links among groups that have not previously worked together to find innovative solutions to such vexing environmental health issues.
Project Methods
This book will build on efforts that began nearly 20 years ago with the Loon Preservation Committee of New Hampshire when we first identified that lead (Pb) fishing gear posed a significant health threat to breeding loons. Although there are many books and articles written about lead, they tend to fall into one of several relatively narrow categories: 1. Technical toxicologic or environmental volumes intended for specialists. 2. Public health publications focused on occupational health, pediatric health and lead from either gasoline or the use of leaded paints. These almost never address issues of animal health and are often written in a language not readily accessible to the public. 3. Popular books on specific, narrow wildlife issues, especially those involving charismatic species like eagles or condors. Although valuable, these publications tend to be written in a strong advocacy tone and are not usually intended to attract skeptical audiences. In compiling and
organizing the publication content, I will have the cooperation and participation of national authorities in human health (at Tufts Univ., Johns Hopkins, Univ. of Pittsburgh, CDC, and other organizations), aquatic birds (including the Loon Preservation Committee of NH and the National Wildlife Health Center) and birds of prey (including the Peregrine Fund), several manufacturers of fishing gear and the American Fishing Tackle Manufacturers Association. I have been working on this issue for many years, have been involved in legislative efforts in several states, and have published and presented widely. Conservationists in New Hampshire have consistently been leaders in this effort passing the first legislation in the U.S. to limit to use of lead fishing gear and continuing to work to expand and strengthen these statutes. As an educational organization and established in conservation medicine, Tufts Center for Conservation Medicine (TCCM) and our collaborators like the LPC are well
positioned to present objective data and information to an audience that includes wildlife professionals, policy makers, the public, animal welfare and conservation groups. The personal experiences of people who have been involved in the scientific, educational and legislative efforts in New Hampshire will form a significant core of the book; bringing a personal perspective to what might otherwise seem to be a dry topic. Several people have already been interviewed for the book and additional interviews are planned for the fall of 2007.