Background:
Shooting with lead-containing ammunition in firing ranges is a well-known source of lead exposure in adults, and police officers may be at risk of lead intoxication. more stringent national lead regulations stimulated a survey of blood lead (pbb) in swedish police officers with regular shooting habits.
Methods:
Police officers considered as the most active shooters on and/or off duty responded to a questionnaire about health, lifestyle, shooting habits, and potential lead exposure. blood samples were collected and analyzed for pbb and a multivariate regression analysis was performed.
Results:
The mean pbb in male officers (n = 75) was 0.24 mumol/l (5.0 micrograms/dl); range 0.05-0.88 mumol/l (1.0-18.2 micrograms/dl), and in female officers (n = 3) it was even lower (0.18 mumol/l; 3.7 micrograms/dl). for both sexes combined, a positive correlation (r = 0.55; p < 0.001) of pbb with the number of bullets annually fired both on and off duty was observed, and this finding remained in a multiple regression analysis including age, smoking habits, and latency from last shooting exercise.
Discussion:
In conclusion, occupational and recreational lead exposure from firing ranges still seems to be a source of lead exposure in swedish police officers, but it no longer appears to be a health risk. lead-free communication and well-ventilated indoor firing ranges may have been decisive for this encouraging finding.