From bullets to poison: tales of toxic lead and what makes it so lethal

The metal's curious chemistry and propensity to alter enzymes have disfigured royals, killed Romans and gained it notoriety for murders

Bullets are dangerous. This may seem like stating the obvious. Of course bullets fired into a body at high velocity are dangerous. But, it turns out that there are other ways that bullets can cause harm, through lead poisoning.

In shootings, there are more immediate concerns than the toxic effects of the bullet. That bullets contain lead is also no surprise but it is only recently that a study has looked into bullets as a possible cause of lead poisoning.