Lead is a heavy, soft, gray-blue metal present in a large variety of products. Lead is one of the most ubiquitous toxic materials encountered in everyday life. In the past lead has been used as an anti-knock, lubricating additive in gasoline and as a pigment in paints. Lead is still commonly found in older pipes, brass faucets, or pipes with soldered fittings. Lead is also found in automotive batteries, fishing weights, and has long been the preferred material for use in shot and bullets.

When spent lead shot and bullets weather and erode they can cause soil and water contamination. Lead (dust) particles may also pose a concern for range workers through inhalation. Together these concerns make lead the primary environmental issue facing shooting ranges today. The good news is that these impacts can be effectively mitigated by developing and implementing a Shooting Range Stewardship Plan; one that employs Best Management Practices.

• Lead sources in the home
• National Lead Information Center (NLIC)
• Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet on Lead
• US EPA Lead Page