Saturnism and raptors: experimental methodology for lead detection in shot ungulates

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Saturnism and raptors: experimental methodology for lead detection in shot ungulates
Saturnism and raptors:
  experimental methodology for lead
  detection in shot ungulates
               Mauro Di Giancamillo1, Guido Grilli1, Simone Borgonovo1, Enrico Bassi2, Maria Ferloni2, Luca Pedrotti2

1) Università degli Studi di Milano, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria 2) Parco Faunistico dello Stelvio
Saturnism and raptors: experimental methodology for lead detection in shot ungulates
Introduction

                                      Saturnism
Lead poisoning (also known as plumbism, colica pictonium, Devon
                    colic or painter's colic)
      Increased levels of the heavy metal lead in the body

                               High toxicity

         Many organs and tissues, including heart, bones, liver, intestines,
         kidneys, reproductive and nervous systems

                                        Symptoms:
                                        abdominal pain, headache, anemia and, in
                                        severe cases, seizures, coma and death.

                           D. Pozzi
Saturnism and raptors: experimental methodology for lead detection in shot ungulates
Introduction

                               Saturnism
         Exposure to lead:
    air, water, soil, food

Tens to hundreds milligrams of lead

     Serious risk if ingested
                                                                        Hecht 2000

                                    Lead bullet fragmentation inside the animal

                                                 Viscera with lead

                                                 Number of chip

                        A. Pirola        Bullet’s type       Shot’s target
Saturnism and raptors: experimental methodology for lead detection in shot ungulates
Introduction

   Raptors are subject to
      saturnism due to
   ingestion of carcasses
Secondary poisoning
              Viscera with lead
Saturnism and raptors: experimental methodology for lead detection in shot ungulates
Introduction

           How to recognize a poisoned raptor
Act strangely

 Listless but with no visible signs of injury

  Physical and behavioral changes

          Loss of balance, gasping and tremors

         Dehydrated, anemic and underweight

         Tarsal and metatarsal ulcerations

         Signs of neurological dysfunction

                Wing and head droop
                Inability to walk, fly or digest     I. Dalla Torre
Saturnism and raptors: experimental methodology for lead detection in shot ungulates
Introduction

           Diagnostic exams & hypothetical therapy
           Blood sample
           Bone marrow sample
    *                                               Heavy metal intoxication
           Bone biopsy
           Liver and spleen biopsy

                        Hypothetical therapy

                         Intoxication gravity

                 Acute                    Chronic

            Fluid therapy                   None
        Symptoms specific

*   Live    or   Dead    animals
Saturnism and raptors: experimental methodology for lead detection in shot ungulates
Introduction

                                                          Saturnism
      Most hited
     Griffon Vulture                                      10 % of Golden Eagle’s Mortality in
     Golden Eagle
    Bearded Vulture                                       USA & Canada should be reported to
       Sea Eagle                                          lead poisoning.
   Eurasian Eagle Owl

                                           Species            Place        Period    Collection N      Bibliography

                                        Bearded Vulture    Pirenei ESP      n.p.          4         Zimmermann in verbis

     Few studies                        Bearded Vulture    Pirenei FR     1996-06         2            Razin in verbis

      in Europe                         Bearded Vulture   European Alps   2005-08         2              Frey 2009
                                                          European Alps
                                         Golden Eagle                     2000-01         7         Kenntner et al. 2007
                                                            (D, CH, A)

                                         Golden Eagle       Germany       1990-94         2          Bezzel et al. 1995

                                         Golden Eagle        Austria       2004           1          Zechner et al. 2005

   Many studies                          Golden Eagle          UK           n.p.          5            Pain et al. 1995
in North America                         Golden Eagle        Sweden         n.p.          2          Kendall et al. 1996

                                         Golden Eagle        Swiss        1970-94      9 su 49*          Haller 1996

                                         Golden Eagle        Austria      Gen 2009        2            Frey com.pers.

* Encapsulated shot and bullet’s chip
Saturnism and raptors: experimental methodology for lead detection in shot ungulates
Introduction

                    Hunting (Bullets)
Internal Balistic      External Balistic        Terminal Balistic

                              MaxExpansion

                                 Medium
                                Expansion

                              Expansion and
                               Penetration

                              No Expansion,
                             only Penetration
Saturnism and raptors: experimental methodology for lead detection in shot ungulates
Introduction

                               Hunting
                            Terminal balistic

                        How does the bullet work?
               How many energy does it transmit to the target?
                              In wich way?

Injury:
• Soft-tissues snatch                  Cavità temporanea
• Idrodinamical shock                      e permanente
Saturnism and raptors: experimental methodology for lead detection in shot ungulates
Introduction

                   Hunting

Correct target
Deep cavity
No exit pierce
No fragment                       E. Bassi

Low periferal injury

        E. Zanon
Introduction

                                         Bullet’s Fragmentation
                                                                (Hecht 2000)

                                                                                 Weigh after   Lost Bullet     Lost Bullet
                                                Bullet’s type        Weigh (g)
                                                                                  shot (g)         %            Weigh (g)

                                                   H-Mantel             11.2         6.8          38.5             4.4

                                                 Teilmantel-
  Non Monolitic Bullet                            Rundkopf
                                                                        9.0          5.4          40.0             3.6

                                               TIG o Torpedo-
                                                                        10.5         7.0          33.1             3.5
                                                    Ideal

               > Impact                       KS o Kegelspitz           10.5         7.9          24.3             2.6

         > Fragmentation                            Nosler              9.1          8.2          9.5              0.9

     High percentage of
                                                     ABC                10.2         9.5          6.9              0.7
    post-shoting’s lost lead

    According to this study, the first three bullets should be avoided in hunting.

                                    A few post-shoting’s lost lead in the other type
                                         make them more efficient and useful.

*520 roe deers, 400 deers, 160 wild boars, 32 fallow deers
Aim Of The Study

              Aim Of The Study
Development of an experimental methodology
     for lead detection in shot ungulates

                     Study Planning

                 Hunted viscera collection

Delivery to IZS Sondrio and then to Milan’s Veterinary Faculty

         Freeze viscera computed tomography (CT)

                      Metal recovery

             Data process and results valuation

 Total number of viscera to submit: 200
Materials & Methods

                          Study Planning
                   a) Evisceration on hunting’s place

Viscera putted inside a plastic bag

 Plastic bag closed with a string

            Tag fill in

                                                                       E. Bassi

                                      With identification mark (strip number)

                  Remember: deliver all the lead’s chip
Materials & Methods

                 Study Planning
                  b) Evisceration on IZS

     Carcass Transport to IZS

           Evisceration

Viscera putted inside a plastic bag

Tag and registration schedule fill in

Viscera stored in refrigeration room
Materials & Methods

Lead’s bullet recovery
Materials & Methods

                                         Registration Schedule (A)
                              Ricerca sull’accumulo di piombo nei visceri degli ungulati selvatici abbattuti
                                                   SCHEDA PER LA RACCOLTA DEI VISCERI

  Nome operatore/i: ………………………………...............................................

  N° contrassegno capo abbattuto .................................................................................. Codice visceri*: ......................
                                                                                                                                    * solo se capo NON abbattuto a caccia

  DATI RELATIVI ALL’ABBATTIMENTO: Abbattuto :                                                         Recuperato con cane                     ferito  morto 
  Comprensorio Alpino: ..............................................          Settore di caccia: .......................................................................
  Data abbattimento ................................. Ora: ............... Data eviscerazione: .................................... Ora: ...................

  Nome cacciatore e telefono: ..............................................................................................................................................
Capo abbattuto da ignoti  Recuperato da ...................................................... Note: .......................................................

DATI BALISTICI
   Cartuccia commerciale: marca, munizione e tipo: .........................................................................................................
   Ricarica: munizione: ................................ tipo palla: ….................. peso: ................. velocità di uscita: ........................
  Distanza tiro:             0-100 m                   100-200 m                     200-300 m                      >300 m 
  N° totale di colpi sparati: ................................. N° di colpi a segno: ....................................
Materials & Methods

                                             Registration Schedule (B)
 ESAME DEL CAPO ABBATTUTO
 Specie: Camoscio  Cervo  Capriolo                                                    Sesso: M  F       Anni di età: ............ Peso visceri kg .............

                               Indicare sulla sagoma foro/i di INGRESSO (I1, I2..) e foro/i di USCITA (U1, U2..)
                                          N° fori di ingresso: ........... N° fori di uscita: .............
                 testa

                            scapola       dorso ant                dorso post

        collo

                                                                                coscia
                spalla

                                                      addome
                                      cassa tor.
                zampe ant
                                                               zampe
                                                               post

Regione/i colpita/e (barrare con 1/più crocette): Testa  Collo  Spalla  Scapola  Cassa toracica  Petto 
Dorso (parte anteriore)                 Dorso (parte posteriore)                        Coscia    Zampe anteriori      Zampe posteriori           Addome 

Organi colpiti: Cuore  Polmoni  Fegato  Stomaco  Intestino  Reni                                                      Non noto 

Ossa colpite: NO  SI  quali? ...........................
Raccolta visceri: completa  solo organi toracici (cuore e polmoni)  solo organi addominali                                           altro: …………………
Proiettile ritrovato: NO  SI , in quale regione: ...................................... Peso proiettile residuo (g): ...................
Materials & Methods

                          CT Investigation
                  c) Freeze viscera submission to CT Scan

Computed Tomography (CT) is an X-ray diagnostic imaging technique that is
able to take two-dimensional images, by transversal section, through around a
single axis of rotation.

       CT           Densitometer

  Discerning of different tissue density

                                                         Scanogram
                                                         Pilot Image
Materials & Methods

                     Viscera’s maceration
            d) Freeze viscera submission for lead recovery

                      Defrost                                   I
                                                                N
        Maceration with caustic soda

                                                                P
               Seep through a thin mesh filter                  R
                                                         W
                                                         O      O
                    Recovery of                          R      G
Bullet’s fragment                 Lead bean bag          K      R
                                                                E
                                                                S
                                                                S
               Lead’s weighting
Results

                 Results

                           CT Scan

Normal viscera
Results

                           Results

                                     CT Scan

Viscera with lead’s bean bag
Results

                           Results

                                     CT Scan

     Viscera with
fragmented lead’s bullet
Results

Densitometry

                Hounsfield Unit (HU)
        Air                - 1000
        Fat                - 65 ± 10
        Water              0
        Muscle             + 45 ± 10
        Liver              + 65 ± 10
        Bone               + 250
        Metal (Lead)       + 1500 >
Results

Metal“Biopsy”
Conclusion

                              Conclusion
Pilot study

 CT shows an high sensibility on metal detection

                   Metal “biopsy”

    13 viscera scanned (8 %)          (1 fallow deer, 2 deers, 4 roe deers, 6 wild boars)
                       4 controls   + 1 negative         + 8 positive

                  Validation of the Imaging Diagnosis tecnique
                      with the anatomo-patological findings

                      Data process and results valuation
Conclusion

                              Conclusion
If the final trend’s study will be the same of the pilot one…

                           “Real” aim of the study

     Introduction of some modification in hunting’s practice

     Suggestions for hunters

No hunting’s place evisceration

Bury gut piles. Find ways to dispose of
carcasses and the dressed down remains
of animals so scavengers will not find
them.
                                                               A. Pirola
Conclusion

                               Conclusion
Use of non-lead ammunition. Inexpensive and ecologically sound alternatives
to lead ammunition are available. For example, the Barnes X-Bullet, made of solid
copper, is one of several alternatives for hunting.

Never throw old hunting gear into the water or woods or onto the shore.
Discard old lead ammunition properly.

Take lead out with you. Collect spent slugs and any meat from wounds that
may be contaminated with lead.
Thanks For Your Attention
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