[tlapinski]

Originally Posted by zimmy

Absorption rates in humans are known A child in Oregon died of lead poisoning within four days of swallowing a necklace that contained lead. He had syptoms within 24 hours.
In children, up to 50% of ingested lead may be absorbed (see Grant, L.D. (2009). "Lead and compounds". In Lippmann, M.. Environmental Toxicants: Human Exposures and Their Health Effects (3rd ed.). Wiley-Interscience. ISBN 0-471-79335-3).

LD50 of lead is known for many fish, birds, etc. Given the digestive system in fish, the lead is not going to pass through the digestive tract and will stay in the fish to be continually absorbed. The amount of lead in a fish that eats yoyo'd bait is going to kill most of them. I don't have any idea how many people yoyo or how many baits come free, so I can't guess how much of an issue it is for the overall population. Maybe I kill just as many fish by catch and release mortality as a person who yoyo's for meat, I don't know.

Thanks! Now I am trying to recall if I ever ingested any split shot when I was younger figuring it would just pass right on through. Maybe the fact that I can't remember is a sign...