[germinalphrase]

“ Until very recently all the discourse on lead exposure and contamination seems to have been focused on the bullet itself.”

Not without reason. Animals hunted with lead bullets often leave lead fragments in the natural environment via gut piles (if recovered) or the carcass itself (if not recovered).

Lead poisoning is one of the leading causes for death for carrion birds (who eat the carcasses/gut piles) - such as the California Condor. Because of this, wildlife preservation groups - like the Peregrine Fund - have been vocal proponents of eliminating lead bullets.