http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/15/zeroing-in-on-lead-in-hunters-bullets/

Citing risks to birds and to human health, roughly 100 environmental groups formally asked the federal Environmental Protection Agency this week to ban or at least impose limits on lead in the manufacturing of bullets and shotgun pellets for hunting or recreation.

The use of such ammo by hunters puts about 3,000 tons of lead into the environment annually and causes the death of 20 million birds each year from lead poisoning, said Jeff Miller, a conservation advocate at one of the groups, the Center for Biological Diversity. Consumption of meat from animals that are shot with lead bullets also contributes unacceptable levels of the metal into people’s diets, Mr. Miller said in a phone interview.

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One of the species most at risk from lead is the endangered California condor, a scavenger that may ingest lead while eating the remains of animals shot with lead bullets, federal and state wildlife and park officials say. The lead pellets within shotgun shells also closely resemble “grit,” pebbles consumed by many species of birds that are necessary for digestion.

Widespread accidental ingestion of these pellets by waterfowl led to a 1991 federal ban on the use of lead in ammunition used to hunt water birds.

“The use of lead bullets and shot causes the unintended poisoning of all kinds of birds,” Mr. Miller said. “Since there are good alternatives that are coming down in price, there’s no reason not to switch to nontoxic gear.”

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But Mr. Prieto and the other petitioners point out that lead has been removed from many products because of health concerns. “We’ve taken lead out of gasoline, plumbing and toys,” he said. “There’s no reason to keep using it in ammunition.”