A new study has found some not-so-eggcellent news about backyard hens and their eggs.
Joint research from Macquarie University, Environment Protection Authority, Victoria, has found backyard hens’ eggs contain large amount of lead.
In an article on The Conversation, the researchers who conducted the study said: “Our newly published research found backyard hens’ eggs contain, on average, more than 40 times the lead levels of commercially produced eggs
“Almost one in two hens in our Sydney study had significant lead levels in their blood. Similarly, about half the eggs analysed contained lead at levels that may pose a health concern for consumers.”
The study authors analysed more than 25,000 garden samples from Australian gardens collected via the VegeSafe program.
VegeSafe is a community science participation program run by Natural Science staff at Macquarie University.
Effects of lead exposure
Exposure to lead can have a detrimental effect on people’s health – even in low quantities.
Health Direct says: “Lead can enter the human body mainly through breathing in or swallowing materials contaminated with lead.”
The website adds that symptoms of lead poisoning can be challenging to recognise. They may include:
- difficulty passing stools (constipation)
- abdominal pain
- headache
- fatigue
- muscle pains
- nausea and vomiting
- anaemia (low red blood cells)
How does lead get into the eggs?
Chickens scratch around in the ground foraging for tasty things to eat, unknowingly ingesting lead.
“The amount of lead in the soil was significantly associated with lead concentrations in chicken blood and eggs. We found potential contamination from drinking water and commercial feed supplies in some samples but it is not a significant source of exposure,” the researchers said.
Should you stop eating backyard eggs?
The short answer is that it depends.
Researchers say it all comes down to the lead levels in your soil, which can vary significantly across Australian backyards. But higher levels of lead are more likely to be found in older homes.
“Deeper data analysis showed older homes were much more likely to have high lead levels across soils, chickens and their eggs.
“This finding matches other studies that found older homes are most at risk of legacy contamination from the former use of lead-based paints, leaded petrol and lead pipes.”
Similarly, a study published last year found about a fifth of Australian vegetable gardens are likely to produce food that contains dangerous levels of toxic lead.
Led by experts at Macquarie University and published in the Environment International journal, the study analysed 17,256 garden soils from 3609 homes across the country for toxic trace metal contamination. Researchers revealed the results were “sobering” as 35 per cent of Australian homes were found to be at risk of contamination.
“The results show 35% of homes, particularly those that are older, painted, and located in inner cities having soils above the Australian residential guideline (300 mg/kg) for the neurotoxic trace metal lead,” the study read.
The only way to find out is to have your soil tested, and people can do this at VegeSafe or through a commercial laboratory.
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Everything you need to know about pet chickens
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