In 1982 the National Rifleman magazine did an article on bullet casters and the lead level in their blood. Bullet casters had lower lead levels than plumbers BUT had much higher levels of toxic heavy metals from using wheel weights. That artical was written 30 years ago and they are just starting to do something about now......money talks and safety regulations walk.
Good memory Eddie: I have not found that article yet, but I found this article from the American Rifleman on the health hazards associated with lead and bullet casting.
“
Don’t Let Lead Poison You” , American Rifleman Nov 1984, pg 39. by Dr George W. Huckaba and Dr George C. Wood.
I don’t see blood lead levels in the article, but it is very comprehensive about lead vapors, lead particles and the effects of lead on the body.
This article totally makes the case that casting in the kitchen or in the house is very bad. Describes just how lead gets tracked around the house, how it gets into your clothes, and when you wash those clothes, how it gets on the other clothing in the washer.
Then, you touch those clothes, lead dust covered surfaces, eventually, you touch your eyes, your food, your mouth.
A quote from the article
"Once fine lead dust has impregnated rugs and furniture, conventional cleaning methods are ineffective in removing it and furniture may have to be discarded if it contains residual lead dust"
The authors were both medical Doctors , Dr Wood was a Professor of the Department of Drug and Material Toxicology, University of Tennessee, Memphis TN. Anyone in this post have credentials as good as a Doctor of Toxicology?
Let's put it this way: why should we care about the dangers of lead wheel weights when normal Americans have blood-lead levels well within the safe range? And if it's such a threat to anything else, how about they show us some cases where it actually killed something?
You know it does not take much effort to find warnings about lead exposure. Just google “Occupational Exposure inorganic lead”
I found this one, showing a significant risk of cancer due to lead exposure.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1128158/
Cancer and occupational exposure to inorganic lead compounds: a meta-analysis of published data.
H Fu and P Boffetta
OBJECTIVES--To review and summarize the epidemiological evidence on the carcinogenicity of occupational exposure to inorganic lead
RESULTS--The combined results show a significant excess risk of overall cancer, stomach cancer, lung cancer, and bladder cancer,……