Yes, brand new ranges with chopped up tire rubber backstop to reduce lead bullet/dust scatter, hurricane like high velocity air ventilation system, California/EPA/OSHA approved air circulation/filtration system fully passed inspections, offset floor rubber mats to "trap" lead dust, floor/mats cleaned/wet mopped/washed daily.
During this time, I was doing A LOT of lubed lead bullet load testing and continued to handle lead bullets but as my doctor confirmed, lead absorption doesn't happen by handling hard lead alloy bullets and most of my lead intake/absorption (key is cumulative intake/absorption) likely happened from inhaling lead dust off indoor range floor and handling/processing/dry tumbling spent cases (Main source of lead dust in shooting now days is from priming compound as spent cases drop to the floor and scatter residual lead dust from inside the case and inhaling lead dust).
And according to this 4/25/14 CDC report on indoor ranges and elevated blood lead levels, there likely is a link -
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...ealth-information.307170/page-10#post-9544358
"... this report document serious lead exposure from indoor firing ranges ... BLLs (Blood Lead Level) should be kept below 10 µg/dL for all adults, and below 5 µg/dL for children and pregnant women.
The findings in this report also suggest that firing range customers and family members of firing range employees, in addition to employees themselves, can be exposed to hazardous amounts of lead. There are an estimated 19 million active target shooters in the United States.
... The number of persons with elevated BLLs from firearms use during 2011–2012 highlights the need to increase prevention activities. Airborne and surface lead levels in firing ranges can be greatly reduced by using lead-free bullets, improving ventilation systems, using wet mopping or HEPA vacuuming instead of dry sweeping, and having a written protocol for range maintenance."
Keep in mind the effects of "
cumulative" build up of lead dust.
So instead of worrying about vacuuming lead dust ("heavy metal particles") from the carpet, it's better to prevent presence/build up of lead dust in the first place due to your "confined space" reloading set up:
- Wash hands/arms after shooting
- Remove shirt after shooting (Bring an extra shirt to the range to change after range session)
- Clean bottom of shoes well or remove to prevent tracking in lead dust into the apartment (Likely picked up the most amount lead dust from range floor)
- Shower to remove lead dust from hair/rest of body (I guess you can wear cap/hat during range session to reduce lead dust collection in hair)
- Handle/sort/process spent brass while wearing gloves (Nitrile) and wearing 3M respirator outdoors (And wash hands afterwards)
- Dry tumble spent brass outdoors (I would consider wet tumbling if dry tumbling outdoors is not an option)
- Use closed system to contain lead dust (Likes of Lee Classic Turret, post 2018 Pro 1000, Pro 4000/6000, etc.) when depriming spent primers
- If must shoot indoors, avoid breathing in lead dust while picking up spent brass (Hold breath as you approach range floor or use 3M respirator)
- If concerned, use a lead tester kit to identify presence/source/build up of lead dust and have blood lead level tested