Abstract
Lead exposure has been associated with psycho-neurological disorders. Elevated blood lead levels have been found in shooters. This study assesses the association between the blood lead levels of shooters and their levels of aggression. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in Gauteng, South Africa. Participants were recruited from four randomly selected shooting ranges with three randomly selected archery ranges used as a comparison group. A total of 118 (87 shooters and 31 archers) participants were included in the analysis. Aggressiveness was measured using the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire. Shooters had significantly higher blood lead levels (BLL) compared to archers with 79.8% of shooters versus 22.6% of archers found to have a BLL ≥ 5 μg/dL (p < 0.001). Aggression scores were significantly higher in shooters (p < 0.05) except for verbal aggression. In the bivariate and regression analyses, shooters with BLLs ≥ 10 μg/dL were significantly associated with the hostility sub-scale (p = 0.03, adjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.83, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.103–7.261). Shooters have a significantly higher BLL and aggressiveness compared to archers. However, elevated blood lead levels were significantly associated with hostility only. Interventions need to be put in place to prevent continued exposure and routine screening of populations at risk should be implemented.
Highlights
Since the 1970s, firearms and shooting ranges have been recognized as high risk for elevated lead exposure [1,2]
We examined the association between blood lead levels (BLL) in users of shooting ranges and aggressive behavior
This study has shown that blood lead levels ≥ 5 μg/dL and aggression scores are significantly higher in study participants who used shooting ranges compared to those using archery ranges
Summary
Since the 1970s, firearms and shooting ranges have been recognized as high risk for elevated lead exposure [1,2]. Mean blood lead levels (BLL) observed in studies of users of shooting ranges have ranged from 10 μg/dL to over 40 μg/dL [3,4,5]. Several studies have shown that the BLL may take a substantial amount of time to decrease after the cessation of shooting especially in those with very high levels or those that have practiced shooting for extended periods [6,7,8,9]. Higher BLLs were associated with a larger caliber of firearm [10], higher frequency of shooting [3,6], and the use of indoor rather than outdoor shooting ranges [3]. Public Health 2018, 15, 1427; doi:10.3390/ijerph15071427 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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