Assessment of Methods For Estimating Risk To Birds From Ingestion of Contaminated Grit Particles (Final Report)
The U.S. EPA Ecological Risk Assessment Support Center (ERASC) announced the release of the final report entitled, Assessment of Methods for Estimating Risk to Birds from Ingestion of Contaminated Grit Particles. This report evaluates approaches for estimating the probability of ingestion by birds of contaminated particles such as pesticide granules or lead particles (i.e. shot or bullet fragments). In addition, it presents an approach for using this information to estimate the risk of mortality to birds from ingestion of lead particles.
EPA's Risk Assessment Forum (RAF) submitted a request to ORD’s Ecological Risk Assessment Support Center (ERASC) to evaluate the effectiveness and utility of the European Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) Risk Assessment Scheme for Plant Protection Products (i.e., pesticides) for its ability to estimate the degree of exposure to songbirds from contaminants in soil. Specifically, are methods and information used for understanding avian exposure to pesticide granules useful for estimating the probability of ingesting other contaminated particles such as lead shot or fragments?
An important route of chemical exposure in many ecological risk assessments is the ingestion of chemicals on or in sediments, soil and small gravel (i.e., grit). Several approaches have been developed to address this route of exposure in risk assessments. The particular focus for this white paper is to evaluate approaches available for estimating the risk to birds from ingestion of lead shot or other lead fragments (hereafter referred to as lead particles). There are many similarities between lead particle ingestion and the ingestion of pesticide granules as grit or food items. More specifically, the paper focuses on two primary issues affecting avian exposure to lead—the rate of ingestion of lead particles by birds and the length of time lead particles are retained and eroded in avian gizzards to release a dose of lead to target organs. The paper discusses soil and grit ingestion by birds, reviews several published approaches for estimating the rate of ingestion of lead particles or pesticide granules, and examines the important sources of uncertainty in parameter estimates for approaches to estimating exposure to lead particles. It recommends an approach for improving the estimation of lead particle exposure to birds in ecological risk assessments. This paper does not comprehensively review the toxicity of lead in birds, but does demonstrate an approach for estimating the risk of mortality from ingesting lead particles.
EPA's Risk Assessment Forum (RAF) submitted a request to ORD’s Ecological Risk Assessment Support Center (ERASC) to evaluate the effectiveness and utility of the European Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) Risk Assessment Scheme for Plant Protection Products (i.e., pesticides) for its ability to estimate the degree of exposure to songbirds from contaminants in soil. Specifically, are methods and information used for understanding avian exposure to pesticide granules useful for estimating the probability of ingesting other contaminated particles such as lead shot or fragments?
An important route of chemical exposure in many ecological risk assessments is the ingestion of chemicals on or in sediments, soil and small gravel (i.e., grit). Several approaches have been developed to address this route of exposure in risk assessments. The particular focus for this white paper is to evaluate approaches available for estimating the risk to birds from ingestion of lead shot or other lead fragments (hereafter referred to as lead particles). There are many similarities between lead particle ingestion and the ingestion of pesticide granules as grit or food items. More specifically, the paper focuses on two primary issues affecting avian exposure to lead—the rate of ingestion of lead particles by birds and the length of time lead particles are retained and eroded in avian gizzards to release a dose of lead to target organs. The paper discusses soil and grit ingestion by birds, reviews several published approaches for estimating the rate of ingestion of lead particles or pesticide granules, and examines the important sources of uncertainty in parameter estimates for approaches to estimating exposure to lead particles. It recommends an approach for improving the estimation of lead particle exposure to birds in ecological risk assessments. This paper does not comprehensively review the toxicity of lead in birds, but does demonstrate an approach for estimating the risk of mortality from ingesting lead particles.
Impact/Purpose
Response to ERASC Request #16
Citation
BENNETT, R., D. HOFF, AND M. ETTERSON. Assessment of Methods For Estimating Risk To Birds From Ingestion of Contaminated Grit Particles (Final Report). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Ecological Risk Assessment Support Center, Cincinnati, OH, EPA/600/R-11/023, 2011.
History/Chronology
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| Oct 2007 | An Internal Review Draft was completed. |
| Dec 2009 | After the internal review was completed, comments were addressed to produce a draft that was externally peer reviewed. |
| Mar 2011 | EPA released the final report. |
This document has been reviewed in accordance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency policy and approved for publication. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.
- Assessment of Methods for Estimating Risk to Birds from Ingestion of Contaminated Grit Particles (PDF) (64 pp, 860 KB, about PDF)
- Revised Model for Estimating Probability of Ingesting N Lead Particles by Birds (XLS File)
- Simulation Model for estimating the risk of mortality from ingesting lead particles: Installation Instructions (PDF) (1 pp, 53 KB, about PDF)
- Simulation Model for estimating the risk of mortality from ingesting lead particles - TRUEGRIT.zip [revised June 2012 to correct graphics sizing issues] (ZIP) (333 MB, about ZIP)