Taking the lead

Without question, the most hotly debated topic in the last couple of weeks has been the use of lead ammunition in the UK. It has aroused much social media debate, made the Inside Science podcast with Adam Rutherford on the BBC, split a community of shooters, and left an industry reeling from the implications of the proposed phasing out. Please forgive the temporary side-track looking at lead shotgun cartridges – I need to set the scene before we pull the article back to have greater relevance for the title of this publication.

Now, I chose my words carefully here, because it is not a lead ban which has been put forward in a joint statement from the major organisations, it was a recommended, and encouraged phasing out within five years. I, along with