Lead exposure associated with recreational shooting at two clubs in the Doubs department

Introduction – A cross-sectional study was conducted among adult members of two sport shooting clubs to assess their exposure to lead. These individuals were asked to have their blood lead levels tested and to complete an online questionnaire to collect their blood lead test results, information about their shooting activities, and details of other potential sources of lead exposure. Results – At the conclusion of the survey in February 2020, 41 shooters from Club A (15% of the 269 adult members in 2018–2019) and 92 adult shooters from Club B (32% of the 289 adult members in 2018–2019) completed an individual online questionnaire and underwent at least one blood lead test. Respectively, 60% and 40% of shooters from clubs A and B had blood lead levels above the threshold of 70 µg/L, which is considered the threshold for overexposure in adults. The exposed shooters were predominantly male. Lead exposure increased with the frequency of visits to shooting ranges. Certain practices, such as “helping to clean the ranges” or “eating on site,” were associated with elevated blood lead levels. Discussion-Conclusion – The detection of lead in shooting ranges is not a recent discovery. Professional shooters already benefit from enhanced medical monitoring. However, this risk of lead exposure tends to be underestimated when it occurs in club settings, as recreational shooters are not subject to any specific monitoring. Raising awareness of the problem begins with providing accurate information and raising awareness among shooters, supervisors, and coaches. However, convincing participants to take measures that may be perceived as burdensome for themselves and/or costly for clubs is difficult, even though the effects of lead are often not readily apparent at the individual level. A discussion should be initiated to assess the benefits of regular biological monitoring of competitive and recreational shooters, which is the only way to identify excessive individual exposure to lead.

Author(s): Clinard François, Chêne Sonia, Tessier Sabrina, Terrien Élodie, Retel Olivier

Publishing year: 2025

Pages: 300-310

Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin, 2025, n° 16, p. 300-310

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