[missuramoss]

Hey guys...Just a simple question here....Ya think its possible to get lead poisoning from a few round balls just sittin around, and not encased? I know the basics...washing hands after handling...etc etc...Just wondern if a few balls layin around on a bench could be throwin poison out??

[Acorn Mush]

Just wondern if a few balls layin around on a bench could be throwin poison out??

Nope! Ain't gonna happen.

[scrat]

Unless you smash them up and jew on them at least 5 hours a day

[missuramoss]

LOL...jew on em??

[kingpin008]

Lead doesn't "throw" anything out. The danger comes from handling/ingesting it. If you do handle raw lead, it's a good idea to wash your hands afterwards, but unless you're juggling the stuff ten hours a day and then licking your fingers afterwards, it's not really that big of a deal.

[Zeke/PA]

A VERY emphatic NO!!!!!!!

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

"Hey Gabe, look yonder! Over thar! I seed some redskins skulking 'round! You all loaded and ready?!"
"Yep. All powdered up and patched and balled! Got some extry ball's right ch'ere ready to go. Hold on thar jest a bit! Handled all that lead and need to wash my hands!!"

[missuramoss]

lmao!!...damnnnnn..I set myself right up with that question huh??

[rcmodel]

Not unless you live in California.

Lead throws poison out in California, but no place else in the world. :rolleyes:

rc

[fireside44]

Fumes are your biggest problem.

Fumes from shooting, fumes from melting lead.

Have good ventilation when shooting and casting and you will never experience a problem.

[mykeal]

Fumes from shooting

What 'lead fumes' do you get from shooting?

[Snaggletooth]

Im 77. As a kid, I had lead "BB" s. We kept them in our mouth to spit one down the bore of a single shot Daisy air rifle. I had a pocket full of lead sinkers all summer long.. I lived in an area where lead was mined and played with lead soldiers and toys. lived in houses with lead paint on them. Im paying for it now. When I sit down and get my butt below my knees, its hard to get up. I know where all the lead went.

[Shultzhaus]

It's a simple matter of body chemistry. When those of us are over 70, and have entered geezerhood, the iron in your blood turns to lead in your a--.

[Wildfire]

Hey There:
NO way.. But RC did have a good point . If you live in CA, You might be a , Ah you get the idea.

Here is a fact.. Most big {and even some small} cities still have some lead pipes in there buildings and no one has died from drinking that water yet..

Yep , Real honest to goodness Lead pipe.. I am a baby boomer ..
Funny Our Mothers Smoked and drank, we had toys made with lead parts and lead based paint on our baby cribs, never had a bike helmet, and shot each other with BB guns, our basements likely leaked radon gas and by rights we should all be dead now. :banghead:

[Hellgate]

Lead from shooting comes from the lead styphanate(?) in the priming compound that ends up in the air during indoor shooting plus lead spatter from the backstop.

[BHP FAN]

The lead in California is only poison to Condors.And griffins.

[StrawHat]

If you get lead fumes from casting bullets, your melt is way too hot!

[BlackNet]

Lead from shooting comes from range cleanup, dust particles in the air get inhaled. Few other sources of lead contanmination

Vehicles, old paint, car paint (yes still uses lead in automobile paint), any type of lead processing, i.e. casting, battery companies etc..

Sweeping indoor ranges produce lead dust, casting bullets produce lead fumes that will linger for many hours.

Few other facts, kids pose the greatest risk of lead exposure. They absorb lead in the body much faster and a greater % than any adult can which makes it the greatest risk of all. 10% in adults and 50% in children. Lead absorption is enhanced if diet is poor in iron or calcium.

[mykeal]

Question: "What 'lead fumes' do you get from shooting?"

Answers (I think):
"Lead from shooting comes from the lead styphanate(?) in the priming compound that ends up in the air during indoor shooting plus lead spatter from the backstop."
"Lead from shooting comes from range cleanup, dust particles in the air get inhaled....Sweeping indoor ranges produce lead dust,.."

Do you have any data on the concentrations for those sources and the comparison of those concentrations with medical guidelines?

[BlackNet]

Yes and no, what makes it super difficult is the ventilation in the room. Many indoor ranges will turn off the exhaust to save $$ and only turn it on when multiple shooters are in the bays.

Sweeping a dry floor will indeed produce dust clouds. Shooting lead at the backstops will fragment and send particles in the area, most of the sweeping that is 'bad' is down range and near the backstops. Another area is cast bullets will fragment in the barrel as it is pushed down the barrel. Also from the primers.

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/

http://www.utexas.edu/safety/ehs/msds/lead.html
(http://www.utexas.edu/safety/ehs/msds/lead.html)

The OSHA recommendation for the maximal acceptable level of lead in the air we breathe is 50 mg/m3. By comparison, the air lead in major American cities averages about 0.2 mg/m3.

this is old levels,

this is for children.
The lead poisoning threshold was lowered in 1985 to 25 micrograms per deciliter and, in 1991, was further reduced to 10 micrograms, where it stands today

few other things to look at as well.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-08-21-lead-poisoning-cdc_N.htm

Fact remains, removing lead from household paint removed and reduced lead poisoning my leaps and bounds. Now days the biggest lead contamination you hear about is from industries handling lead, i.e. battery companies.

[wittzo]

They've discovered that waterfowl and other animals get more lead in their system from drinking contaminated water from old landfill runoff and improperly disposed materials than eating shot from the bottoms of ponds, making the requirement to use steel shot useless. The same thing was found in California when they were voting on non-toxic hunting bullets, but the politicians ignored it.

If you eat a hunk of lead, it will pass through before too much damage is done. If you get shot, the bullet is left in if it's too deep. Removing the bullet does more damage. The body will grow a sheath around foreign objects.

[Nicodemus38]

a big problem was that many casters would clean bullets off with carbon tetrachloride and similar products, those chemicals did a 1 2 punch on the user. they had toxic fumes that screwed you up. and they would chemically combine with the lead, soak into your skin and let the lead into your body.

most hand lotions and body lotions with "moisturizing agents" work in the same fashion, so dont use those chemicals when you play with lead, and stop eating it, stop inhaling over the melting pot and ladle, and stop using lead ingots as a homeopahtic remedy for hemerhoids and you should be ok.

[Wildfire]

I have cast 100s of thousands of bullets in the 700 plus degree range and zero lead poisoning issues. None was detected in any blood test after casting .
Yes I had a blood test that was not related to the casting issue but asked for a lead count also.. None found..

Lead fumes can get bad at higher temps 900 plus. But , casting bullets at 900 degrees is stupid anyway. The bullets are junk and there is no reason to cast at that temp.

The federal max level of Nitrates for a legal water well is 10 PPM. Parts per million.
Check out and see how many Nitrates are in a Hot Dog or a Bowl of Ice Cream.

If 10 PPM is bad a Hot Dog followed by a Bowl of Ice Cream would kill you.

The whole issue of Lead poisoning boils down to common sense thing. Sniffing a Hot Pot of melted lead is probably not the smartest thing no matter what the temp is. But could be Natures way of weeding out stupid casters.

Sorry for being a smart Butt here but sometimes the truth hurts.
You did do the right thing by asking about something you were not sure about.. Keep that up and you should survive... :)

[Cosmoline]

Lead, sitting there, is not a threat unless you're doing the old trick of putting the roundballs in your mouth for storage. I don't think anyone is crazy enough to be doing that these days. The big risk is when you are casting large amounts. Fellows around here have gotten high lead levels from failing to ventilate. But as noted, common sense applies.

As far as exposure from shooting, I'm sure there's some risk. Esp. if you're a tube-blower like myself. Don't eat or drink when you're doing range shooting. On the plus side, there are no priming compounds if you're a flintlock shooter! Flintlocks are the organic food of the shooting world.

[mykeal]

As far as exposure from shooting, I'm sure there's some risk.
Why?
I've still seen no data showing how much lead exposure there is from shooting. None. I can't believe that in today's media dominated 'the sky is falling' society that someone hasn't identified this hazard and characterized it. If it truly is a hazard. Maybe it isn't....

[Cosmoline]

I should be more specific. The risk I'm seeing comes from handling the lead, mashing the ball into the barrel, blowing down the barrel, etc. I think just avoiding drink or food during the process would resolve this.

[jbkebert]

It was said ealier that you could ingest lead and it would pass through you before much damage could be done. This is true the reason that lead shot is banned for most waterfowl hunting is that birds have a gizzard. They east small pebbles and such to grind up thier food. This act of grinding will powderize some of the lead they eat off the bottom of the lake. This powder can be absorb into the blood stream and cause lead poisoning. A solid chunk of lead cannot be absorb and will pass through it might not be pleasant but it wont kill you.

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

Mr. MyKeal, no one is going to present you with any data. Not any legitimate data anyway, because it dosen't exist. Not in real life for sure....

[BlackNet]

Everyone is forgetting to realize that adults and children are vastly different. In a healthy adult the rate lead is absorbed into the body is under 10%, in children it's much higher, close to 50%. Same holds true for eating.

However, prolonged consumption will cause problems in adults as well, see the roman empire and it's consumption of lead.

As for the nitrates goes yes if you eat hotdogs and icecream every day loaded with nitrates and all that other junk you would be in for a short lifespan, will it kill you immediately? No. Will it cause you to have a short life span? Yes.

As for the original posters question.

Hey guys...Just a simple question here....Ya think its possible to get lead poisoning from a few round balls just sittin around, and not encased? I know the basics...washing hands after handling...etc etc...Just wondern if a few balls layin around on a bench could be throwin poison out??

The answer is likely no change of poison from that.

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

"see the roman empire and it's comsumption of lead"(post 29)....Hmmm...I was under the distinct impression that in addition to becoming a glutinous and drunken and immoral society that the Roman Empire collasped and fell because a certain being came to earth and the rest is history. Don't seem to recall ever reading or hearing anything in any book whatsoever about them dying or falling out of power from eating fried lead and scrambled eggs for breakfast....

[BlackNet]

http://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/17/us/roman-empire-s-fall-is-linked-with-gout-and-lead-poisoning.html

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/wine/leadpoisoning.html

these both are related to rome, seems the link is very hotly debated and that is not why i brought it up. I did recall some history channel show I wanted years ago talk about them using lead cups and they had numerous medical problems because of that and other things.

[Cosmoline]

It was said ealier that you could ingest lead and it would pass through you before much damage could be done.

That's an intact lead ball in an animal, though. I'm talking about the lead residue on your fingers, smeared on the barrel, etc. Muzzleloading gets messy, as we all know. Or maybe it's just me ;-)

I'm also not sure what the burned BP itself does to you. It's pretty acrid on the tongue.

Don't seem to recall ever reading or hearing anything in any book whatsoever about them dying or falling out pf powder from eating fried lead and scrambled eggs for breakfast....

The Roman empire didn't fall because of lead consumption, but there's no question that using soft lead for eating vessels is an exceptionally stupid idea. It was a moot point for most of them due to their short lifespans. For us, living into our 80's or longer, the buildup of lead is a bigger concern.

that the Roman Empire collasped and fell because a certain being came to earth and the rest is history.

Not to get OT too much, but the Roman Empire eventually converted to Christianity. Gibbon blamed that fact for its ultimate demise. Of course Christian Byzantium continued to reign over the east for many centuries and lingered until the Turks finally finished it off.

[Snaggletooth]

Im not trying to be a smart ass but if your fear is so great, dont shoot black powder and get rid of the balls that are so upsetting. Personally, Ive handled lead all my life and have suffered no ill effects that I can see. Nothing is worth the fear that you experience.

[Wildfire]

Oh how these subjects can get twisted...
Rome ? It is a well known fact that Rome fell just as was stated. Moral decay.

Again I will restate the FACT that for many , many years ALL city water systems were using and some are still not converted. LEAD PIPES.....
Your water flowed through real lead pipes. No one died from it.
Hot Dogs and Ice creamed has never killed anyone yet either.
Simple facts. The EPA and other Government agencies have had their way with us for many years and have brain washed so many into believing so much crap.

9 years in a row now we have set record cold temps and yet we are in a Global warming end of all ends. But then again if not for that national hero we would not have this wonderful internet now would we. ???????

By the way Hot Dogs and Ice cream have over 1000 PPM nitrates each. 10 PPM in a water well seems just a tad on the crazy side. Do your research and you will find that it is the banks that require the water well to meet the 10 PPM count before they will loan money on the new house and well.
If you pay cash for a new well at your already lived in home it is OK, just fine and your choice.

We have used Aluminum pots and pans , cups and bowls for years also. Check that out and you will also find warnings against that now too.

[4v50 Gary]

I think lead, when handled properly, poses no threat. I'm more worried about two legged threats than lead.

[missuramoss]

Hey...appreciate the replies fellas...I wasnt "stressed", or "worrying" about gettin lead poison from a few balls sittin on my bench...I just began to wonder one mornin if possibly lead vapors could be emitted from them, and me bein right by them, could I be breathin those vapors in...thats all..Thanks again!!

[bigbadgun]

Lead poisoning hmm thats what the bad guys get isent it?

[pohill]

A few years ago I redid a bedroom in my house (built in 1892). I tore up the pine floors and in the sub-floor was a channel with a lead pipe in it. It went from wall to wall, about 15', and had been cut off at both ends. It was an old water pipe to the bathroom. Soft enough to tie in knots. It weighed 30 lbs. I got alot of roundballs form that pipe.
Everytime I get bloodwork done I ask for a lead test and fo sar go sood....I mean so far so...something.

The Pipe.
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m217/pohill/S4020005-2.jpg

[BHP FAN]

I have about three hundred pounds,some of it soft,some wheel weight,some scrap. I figure it'll last a least a coupla years in my .45-70.

[alemonkey]

One of the guys I shoot with who is an active BPCR competitor scored a few tons of pure lead when they re-roofed the state capital a few years ago. He has enough to last several lifetimes, even at 500+ grains a shot. It's all sitting in big pile in his garage. It's a glorious sight.

I've tossed around the idea of setting up an air gun range in my basement, but I have a 5 year old daughter so I'm a little concerned about lead particles being emitted when the pellets hit the trap. I've heard of using duct seal to catch the pellets, so I'm thinking it would prevent the release of lead particles since it's a soft clay-like substance.

I think the #1 thing you can do is to not eat, drink, or smoke while shooting, and wash your hands with COLD water after you're done.

[arcticap]

I use a conventional steel .22 trap for shooting pellets indoors.
The front is sealed up with tape and paperboard to help contain the lead spatter.
I know folks that use the duct seal putty to capture pellets fired at lower target velocities and it's effective but then the lead can't be easily reused for casting.
I don't know how well the putty works with higher velocity pellet guns.

[JohnKSa]

I've still seen no data showing how much lead exposure there is from shooting.What do you mean? Are you asking if shooters are actually exposed to lead or are you asking how many shooters have problems as a result of lead exposure? Or something else entirely.

Shooters are exposed to lead while shooting. There was a study done awhile back (in Australia?) that showed that primer compounds from the discharge of firearms was the main way that lead got into the bloodstream from shooting. In other words, the vaporized lead off the back of the bullet and lead dust didn't seem to result in as much exposure.

I don't believe that the study determined if the primer residue was inhaled or ingested.

Determining how many shooters have problems as a result of lead exposure would require the cooperation of a large number of shooters. You'd have to get a large population of shooters to agree to be surveyed about their shooting activities and then to submit to blood tests. Maybe the military has done such a study but if they have they haven't published the results. It shouldn't be hard to understand why no else one has been able to do such a study on any decent scale.

I believe you can easily find information relating to elevated blood lead levels in indoor shooting range employees. I'm not sure that's exactly what you want but it probably speaks to the general issue. Here's an example.

http://www.uniquetek.com/site/696296/uploaded/Getting_The_Lead_Out_In_Alaska.pdf

Here's something that may answer some of your questions but it's based on a very small number of study participants.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B7GVY-4VB55HG-1&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1121778609&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=2304d57f5e6f1af1b7392d123530c063

[mykeal]

What do you mean? Are you asking if shooters are actually exposed to lead or are you asking how many shooters have problems as a result of lead exposure? Or something else entirely.

I take it for granted shooters are exposed to lead. I want to see the numbers.

What is the measured amount of lead exposure from shooting? From dust or particles on the floor or in the air or any source. Numbers. Real, honest to goodness data, measured by competent, trained technicians using calibrated instruments and a scientific process. Expressed in milligrams per cubic meter or any other metric that's convenient. Compared to levels accepted by the medical community as being a health risk. Something other than hyperbolic adjectives. What is the real danger?

Your reference to the article about a range in Alaska provides no data. It's simply an anecdote about action taken as a result of concern that a problem existed. The only information about actual measured levels was a statement that they were 'higher than normal' (whatever that means) and 'well below the danger standard set by the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for the work place'.

The reference to the German article provides an abstract that contains data showing range personnel had measured blood levels that 'exceeded the German general population', but as far as I can tell did not approach levels considered a health risk; there is no comparison with levels considered dangerous by a government entity. The same goes for the single airborne particle data point provided. This is in spite of a title claiming a health risk for marksmen. I note that it costs $31.50 to obtain the full article; we don't charge people for data about health risks here in the US.

I don't think this is so hard to do. If there is a genuine problem, somebody must have measured data showing what the exposure levels are compared to levels considered dangerous by health authorities responsible for making such decisions. So far, what I'm getting are 'concerns'.

I'm beginning to suspect, as GoTC says, it doesn't exist. I'm not yet convinced of that, but it's getting there.

[madcratebuilder]

Im 77. As a kid, I had lead "BB" s. We kept them in our mouth to spit one down the bore of a single shot Daisy air rifle. I had a pocket full of lead sinkers all summer long.. I lived in an area where lead was mined and played with lead soldiers and toys. lived in houses with lead paint on them. Im paying for it now. When I sit down and get my butt below my knees, its hard to get up. I know where all the lead went.

Same here, all that lead has really screwed my center of gravity.

How many times did you clamp your lead sinkers with your teeth?

[Hellgate]

Years ago the NRA published a study of lead exposure in bullet casters. I believe they were commercial casters. What I remember from the study is those who smoked or handled food while casting were the most exposed. Good ventilation, not eating or smoking while handling lead, and washing your hands afterwards prevented significant exposure from casting.

[Black Toe Knives]

I had a 8 point Buck die from lead poison from a .54 Bullets I made. I know I do not make bullets in my shop at all. I make them outside.

[hso]

As the very first reply said, nope, lead shot/balls/bullets or ingots won't emit vapors unless heated (and this is the sort of thing I do for a living).

As to lead exposure to shooters, just search any of the discussions on this in General. The short version is that lead exposure to shooters can occur, but usually is related to indoor range staff or shooters that spend frequent long periods of time on active indoor ranges. Good ventilation and good hygiene are all that's needed to prevent elevated blood lead levels.

[missuramoss]

Black Toe Knives.....how did ya find out that buck died from lead poison??

[alemonkey]

lead shot/balls/bullets or ingots won't emit vapors unless heated

My understanding is lead vapors won't be emitted unless you get it extremely hot, well beyond normal casting temps. Is that true?

[mustang_steve]

Maybe if you made your own lead balls, as in the metling process, you'd have the risk of vapor inhalation and the joys of working on a leaded surface.

Shooting it, nope.

For fun, look into the way professional soldering benches are set-up....as in for a production environment. They work with lead amongst other substances day in and day out....they have some pretty extreme, but very effective processes in place to minimize risk to the workers.

[robhof]

Lead only emits vapor when heated WELL above casting temp, a friend got lead poisoning from casting sinkers with a deep fat fryer full of lead that was heated til it glowed, he also ate and drank while casting, but did cast outdoors.

[shadowmanlc]

You owe me some screen cleaner you rascal you!!!

[Floppy_D]

I get annual flight physicals, and I ask about lead content. It's never been an issue, and I cast and load all the time. My flight doc told me that lead absorbs slowly, so it takes something like paint dust (that you are around every day) rather than touching the lead a couple times a month. I mentioned my casting and reloading to him, and he asked if I wore gloves. I said yes, and he told me it was a non-issue; just to make sure I kept wearing gloves and kept my hands clean.

[hso]

Melting Point: 600.61 K (327.46°C or 621.43°F)

Boiling Point: 2022 K (1749°C or 3180°F)

[Black Toe Knives]

Black Toe Knives.....how did ya find out that buck died from lead poison??
Well. I was kinda responsible for it. I gave am a injection of it at 30 yards.

[Wildfire]

Hey there :
My casting Book says lead at 900 Degrees becomes very toxic.

Below that at normal temps it is not... My Magma master caster runs at 700 degrees and that is where the bullets come out looking their best.

200 grain Swc, .45 cal run about 650 to just over 700 per hour at 700 degrees and stay consistent. Any faster and they get fuzzy. Any slower and they get too shinny. The smaller the bullet the faster you can run them..
But we never increase temp to gain speed.
If we slow down the pot will climb to 725 or 730 . At that point add lead and get going.. To cast at over that temp turns out crap bullets . So stay in that temp range and there should be no issues with any fumes. Of course you need venting.. It would be stupid to shut the door in a room and do this.

I knew one guy years ago that had a high lead count in his blood. He was a caster and cast day and night . He added more venting and started to handle the lead in a smarter fashion and the lead count went down. He is fine.

I have 2 lead BBs from a shot gun in by back side from years ago. The doctor said leave them there . We did. he said no chance of lead poison from it as they would heal over very fast and go no where. Been there for many years now. I am fine too. Yep , to answer before it gets asked. the man that shot me did it knowing he did it. He killed himself 4 months later . 3 shots in the head with a .32 revolver. He got real lead poison and actually died from it.

[JohnKSa]

What is the measured amount of lead exposure from shooting? From dust or particles on the floor or in the air or any source. Numbers. Real, honest to goodness data, measured by competent, trained technicians using calibrated instruments and a scientific process. Expressed in milligrams per cubic meter or any other metric that's convenient. Compared to levels accepted by the medical community as being a health risk. Something other than hyperbolic adjectives. What is the real danger?The simple answer is that if you shoot in a properly ventilated range and follow the well-accepted hygiene procedures then there is no danger.

If the range is not properly ventilated or you eat/smoke/drink/etc. while shooting or before washing up or don't wash up properly then your levels will go up. If you do any of those things long enough then they can eventually reach dangerous levels although that usually takes some doing.

None of those facts are contested.

As far as your study involving trained technicians and calibrated instruments and precisely quantified results, I like the general idea. However, I'm curious as to how you believe it would be possible to set up a test involving poisoning people under carefully controlled conditions to attain various blood lead levels using different types of inadvisable behavior and/or in improperly designed/maintained facilities.

Obviously such a test is not possible. What we are then reduced to is finding people with lead poisoning and trying to (in retrospect) precisely determine their level and type of exposure (likely in conjunction with inadvisable behavior) and drawing conclusions. Again, while that provides some generally useful information, getting precise results based on a carefully controlled and monitored statistically significant sample size is going to be just about impossible.

Getting precise data on poisoning and its effects is quite difficult for the reasons described above. That doesn't mean that poisons are safe, in fact it's because precisely because they're dangerous that it's so difficult to get good data. It's hard to do studies that involve poisoning people in order to get carefully controlled results.

[mykeal]

I believe it's possible because it's been done. Many times. And it can be done without exposing anyone to hazardous conditions - 'poisoning' them, as you suggest would be necessary.

Human body ead absorption rates are well known and documented. They don't need to be retested and verified. Exposure times can be specified. Concentrations can be measured; it's not clear that's been done with any precision, but even if it has, I see no attempt at putting these data together and coming up with real scientific conclusions on the dangers to shooters from lead exposure. It's all hyperbole: 'very toxic', 'dangerous levels', etc. etc.

What's 'dangerous'? 15 minutes of shooting? 20 years of shooting, casting, cleaning a range daily?

It's true there are many variables that can influence results, but the scientific method has know how to account for that for generations. This can be done; it's NOT impossible.

[hso]

mykeal,

I've measured the lead concentration on firing ranges. In instances where the ventilation system wasn't functioning properly measurements in one case were 3 times the PEL. Employee blood lead levels exceeded the OSHA action limit and the range was closed until the ventilation system problem could be sorted out. Employee stay times on the range were limited to allow for their BLLs to drop more quickly.

If you check the OSHA and NIOSH websites you'll find a webpages on shooter exposure to lead and instances of over exposure. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/blog/nsb051809_firingrange.html

The National Shooting Sports Foundation has an agreement in place since 2003 with OSHA on this. http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/alliances/nasr_saami/nasr_saami.html

Look at the firing range organization website as well. rangeinfo has some good information on this also.http://www.rangeinfo.org/resource_library/facility_mngmnt/environment/Lead-OSHA.pdf

There's plenty of other information if you google "indoor firing range lead exposure".

The bottom line is that the firing range community has seen elevated BLLs and airborne lead levels that affect range employees, instructors and serious shooters that practice frequently. I've personally sampled two ranges and the employees finding elevated BLLs due to elevated airborne lead levels. Ranges with adequate ventilation don't experience airborne lead levels exceeding OSHA/NIOSH/ACGIH exposure limits and their employees don't experience high BLLs (unless they don't follow the very basic hygiene practice of washing after going out on the range).

Lead doesn't just jump into the air. Exposure to it can be controlled and it can be handled safely. You just have to take it seriously enough to follow the simple rules of adequate ventilation and washing up before taking anything by mount.

[mykeal]

Finally!
Thank you.

[Ryder]

There's a big sticky thread in THR handloading forum about lead exposure which contains test data.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=307170

[MICHAEL T]

Few other facts, kids pose the greatest risk of lead exposure. They absorb lead in the body much faster and a greater % than any adult can which makes it the greatest risk of all. 10% in adults and 50% in children. Lead absorption is enhanced if diet is poor in iron or calcium.

Guess all our parents should have die before we were born and those of us that were around all this lead as kids should be dead now More PC save the world junk like that summit going on now. All those jets and Limos dirtying the air so the lairs can control more of our lives and money They sure don't practice what they preach

[Wildfire]

Hey "
I like this guy...

Ya , my parents are still alive too. I likely chewed on my crib painted with lead based paint too.
I remember I had a frog. Just a little frog. Maybe 1/2" tall. It was made of lead.
I also remember having it in my mouth on more then one time. I carried lead pellets for my pellet gun in my mouth to wet them for my next shot.

I also would secure my sinkers with my teeth.
Oh well , we all got to go somehow. I will let ya all know when I die if that is what killed me. :banghead:

[hildo]

If you want to check if you have a bad case of lead poisoning, check your gums.
Thought gums would turn blue but actually, after googling, it seemes they will just show a blue line.
Mine are fine upto now :D

See:
http://content.karger.com/produktedb/produkte.asp?typ=fulltext&file=000098100

Hildo

[hso]

Blood lead levels are the only way to know whether you have elevated lead levels (that, or you're so bad off that you're showing acute symptoms of lead poisoning).

If you're concerned have a $30 BLL with ZPP run next time you go for a checkup.

[Vermonter]

Most folks with lead poisoning won't even know it. They'll just be a little slower, or have long-term effects that they might not even realize were caused by the lead. It's not "PC", it's been proven time and time again.

Better safe than sorry.