George P
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The Romans also used lead for water pipes which really didn't help.
Lead Poisoning Question
- Thread starter TomJ
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patmccoy
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Items that I have and which you can look up:
"Eat Smart" article by Jean Carper, 2-22-98 USA Weekend Edition of Denver Post.
"Vitamin C Found to Lower Levels of Lead in Blood...", 6-29-99 article from "Doctors Guide to the Internet" at http://docguid.com.
""The Effect of Ascorbic Acid Supplementation on the Blood Lead Levels of Smokers", Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol 18, No2, 166-170 (1999).
"The Management of Lead Exposure in Pediatric Populations", Nurse Practitioner, Vol15, No 12 (Dec 1990).
"The Lead Calcium Time Bomb", American Health, Nov. 1990
"Vitamin C Toxicity", Nutrition and Diet Therapy, 3rd Edn, pg 124, West Publishing 1985
"Vitamin C Removes Lead From Blood Stream in Men", http://psl group/dg/69F56.htm, 4-3-98
"Trace Metal Poisoning" , Cecil Textbook of Medicine, 16th Edn, pg 2218
These are all from the time period that I became concerned due to poor ventilation in or new indoor range (since remedied). I'm sure an internet search would find additional information with more recent dates.
Hopefully this can help some current and future shooters.
We have determined that my high levels were probably originated by washing arms and hands in leaded gasoline after working on cars from about 1956 to 1970s (when unleaded gas became the norm). It was exacerbated by poor ventilation, and poor protection when cleaning the bullet trap (I used a paper suit and breathing mask, but learned later that using a mask with a poor seal is worse than no mask at all, due to increased velocity of air at the leaks - I have a full beard and a mask will not seal).
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Thank you very much!
You should be able to, BUT without knowing what the airborne lead concentrations were you can't calculate exposures. Lead is cumulative since it leaves the body very slowly and stores in bone and fat, but accumulates readily. Certain types of diet cause the body to excrete it more rapidly than others and chelation certainly removes it. If you actually want to know, have your Blood Lead Level with zinc protoporphyrin taken at a testing center or walk-in or your doctor. The test itself is about $50. This is the only way you will actually know how much lead you're lugging around.
If you practiced good hygiene, washed your hands after shooting, didn't take anything by mouth before showering and didn't smoke, odds are your BLL will be below any concern. OTOH, if not, you could be looking at wanting to change your habits.
orionengnr
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'What makes lead insidious is that it's cumulative. Once it's in your organs, it's there for the rest of your life, and the amount can increase, but it does not decrease."
This is absolute crap.
When I wanted to start reloading (about ten years ago), I collected brass at my indoor local range. Everything I shot, plus everything I could scavenge. I shot every week. Knew nothing about washing hands, etc.
When it became time, I bought a tumbler and started tumbling brass in my garage, re-using the tumbling media and sorting the brass in my garage. Again, no hand-washing protocol. Yeah, I know (now)...
When I started reading about lead levels, I asked my PCP to add a lead check to my annual physical blood test. (He has been doing it every year since.)
First one came in at 9 or so. Opened my eyes a bit.
Still shoot indoors, but these days I try to bring a pair of latex gloves to pick up brass, and never leave the range without a hand-washing session.
When cleaning guns, I use latex gloves when I think of it (less than 50% of the time) but always wash hands afterwards.
When tumbling brass, and transferring the brass from the tumbler to the sorter, I do it outside (and wash hands afterwards).
While reloading, I use latex gloves maybe 50% of the time (and wash hands afterwards).
Seeing a pattern here?
My last five years of lead level have been a 2, consistently. I can live with that.
Bottom line: minimal precautions can make a big difference.
This is absolute crap.
When I wanted to start reloading (about ten years ago), I collected brass at my indoor local range. Everything I shot, plus everything I could scavenge. I shot every week. Knew nothing about washing hands, etc.
When it became time, I bought a tumbler and started tumbling brass in my garage, re-using the tumbling media and sorting the brass in my garage. Again, no hand-washing protocol. Yeah, I know (now)...
When I started reading about lead levels, I asked my PCP to add a lead check to my annual physical blood test. (He has been doing it every year since.)
First one came in at 9 or so. Opened my eyes a bit.
Still shoot indoors, but these days I try to bring a pair of latex gloves to pick up brass, and never leave the range without a hand-washing session.
When cleaning guns, I use latex gloves when I think of it (less than 50% of the time) but always wash hands afterwards.
When tumbling brass, and transferring the brass from the tumbler to the sorter, I do it outside (and wash hands afterwards).
While reloading, I use latex gloves maybe 50% of the time (and wash hands afterwards).
Seeing a pattern here?
My last five years of lead level have been a 2, consistently. I can live with that.
Bottom line: minimal precautions can make a big difference.
No.
Go to your doctor and ask for lead exposure tests of both 1) your blood and 2) your hair. They are not expensive and will guide you as to your short-term and long-term exposure.
Depending on where you live, your insurance and your income, you may be able to get this test for free at your county's public health unit.
Don't put this off.
The doctors will tell you that there is no "safe" level of lead exposure. They are correct. But the health effects of exposure to minuscule levels may be something you are willing to accept. If your exposure is higher than you want to accept, the quicker you begin treatment, the better.
shoobe01
Member
Get tested. Annually is good if you shoot indoors, etc.
Super, duper do it if you load (esp lead bullets, or you pick up empties from the range). Do it this weekend if you cast your own.
Do not let kids around any of the high risk areas. Biggest lead issue is in development by far. Not good for adults, but truly no safe level for kids.
Above covered it mostly: Most serious ingestion methods (in appx order) are:
If in an austere environment (like many ranges are) try to get lead-removal wipes. Normal hand wipes may or may not help. If that's all you have, use two at least. One will dissolve and break up any contamination, the second will remove that much more residue.
Gloves are fine for work like loading, casting. But understand the concept of barrier protection. They ONLY keep the stuff off your hands. If you go take a drink while wearing the gloves: FAIL. So, buy gloves in bulk so you are never too cheap about throwing away a pair to keep contamination down. Ideally do other stuff like a medical facility: trashcan and glove box are at the door to the reloading room, so you glove up on entry, un-glove on exit. And so on. Same principles apply for further cross-contamination you can work out yourself I hope.
I would not take medical advice on chelation therapy replacements off the internet, even here. Vitamin C automatically raises red flags to me, for example. Talk to the doc if the levels are high about what to do. Do all that, and do all the followup monitoring. If they say to stop doing activities to avoid raising levels higher: do that.
ETA: My lead levels are good, but I worry because I spent a lot of time in a room full of open trays of acid, etching plates of metal, in my youth. One day, I felt... bad. Much worse when I went in the acid room. Went outside, air, better. Self-diagnosed (hard to test for this contamination so even telling docs a bit later, they had no further suggestions) and took two weeks off acid entirely, then started using proper (for the time) PPE. All better from then on. That was a transient chemical contamination and sucked; I have no interest in heavy metal poisoning at all.
Super, duper do it if you load (esp lead bullets, or you pick up empties from the range). Do it this weekend if you cast your own.
Do not let kids around any of the high risk areas. Biggest lead issue is in development by far. Not good for adults, but truly no safe level for kids.
Above covered it mostly: Most serious ingestion methods (in appx order) are:
- Smoking. Transfer from your hands to lips, and to the paper which burns and is sucked into the throat and lungs.
- Eating. You tend to touch the food with your fingers, etc. Ingestion is bad.
- Drinking. Sealed containers can be safer, so if you must have hydration on a range (which is important for all day stuff in the sun) then covered bottles etc are better than not. Never on an indoor range, and back from the firing line outdoors. Open containers are a no-no. Avoid touching straws, drink tubes, etc.
If in an austere environment (like many ranges are) try to get lead-removal wipes. Normal hand wipes may or may not help. If that's all you have, use two at least. One will dissolve and break up any contamination, the second will remove that much more residue.
Gloves are fine for work like loading, casting. But understand the concept of barrier protection. They ONLY keep the stuff off your hands. If you go take a drink while wearing the gloves: FAIL. So, buy gloves in bulk so you are never too cheap about throwing away a pair to keep contamination down. Ideally do other stuff like a medical facility: trashcan and glove box are at the door to the reloading room, so you glove up on entry, un-glove on exit. And so on. Same principles apply for further cross-contamination you can work out yourself I hope.
I would not take medical advice on chelation therapy replacements off the internet, even here. Vitamin C automatically raises red flags to me, for example. Talk to the doc if the levels are high about what to do. Do all that, and do all the followup monitoring. If they say to stop doing activities to avoid raising levels higher: do that.
ETA: My lead levels are good, but I worry because I spent a lot of time in a room full of open trays of acid, etching plates of metal, in my youth. One day, I felt... bad. Much worse when I went in the acid room. Went outside, air, better. Self-diagnosed (hard to test for this contamination so even telling docs a bit later, they had no further suggestions) and took two weeks off acid entirely, then started using proper (for the time) PPE. All better from then on. That was a transient chemical contamination and sucked; I have no interest in heavy metal poisoning at all.
DMF38
Member
I only shoot outdoors, and I cast bullets and reload my own ammo. So I had my doctor do blood tests a couple times to check my lead levels. And I did not have any elevated lead levels, so everything was fine. It's my understanding that you're more likely to get more exposure to lead at indoor ranges. And lead poisoning is more of a concern for children. When adults have high lead levels I think they have to take zinc tablets, and that removes the lead from your system.
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