Subclinical Lead Exposure Among Backyard Chicken Flocks in Massachusetts

Ownership of backyard chickens (BYCs) is increasing in urban areas, and BYCs often have access to soil around the home. Exposure to lead-contaminated soil is a known health risk for people; however, the degree to which BYCs are exposed is unknown. We employed a cross-sectional convenience sample to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of avian medicine and surgery 2018-09, Vol.32 (3), p.185-193
Main Authors: Mordarski, Daniel C, Leibler, Jessica H, Talmadge, Carolyn C, Wolfus, Gregory M, Pokras, Mark A, Rosenbaum, Marieke H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal Husbandry
Animals
avian
backyard chicken
chicken
Chickens
Female
Health aspects
lead
Lead (Metal)
Lead - blood
lead exposure
Lead Poisoning - epidemiology
Lead Poisoning - veterinary
lead toxicosis
Massachusetts - epidemiology
ORIGINAL STUDIES
Original Study
poultry
Poultry Diseases - chemically induced
Poultry Diseases - epidemiology
Soil - chemistry
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Summary:Ownership of backyard chickens (BYCs) is increasing in urban areas, and BYCs often have access to soil around the home. Exposure to lead-contaminated soil is a known health risk for people; however, the degree to which BYCs are exposed is unknown. We employed a cross-sectional convenience sample to assess blood lead levels (BLLs) in 57 BYCs from 30 flocks in a region with established environmental lead contamination. Over two-thirds (70.2%) had detectable levels of lead in their blood, which averaged 12.5 μg/dL (range:
ISSN:1082-6742
1938-2871
DOI:10.1647/2017-286