Look for articles in the AMA, EPA, OSHA, CalOSHA or other reputable sources. If you really want to know do a little homework for yourself.
OSHA regulates airborne lead in indoor ranges to answer your earlier question JC. Guess what...their opinion counts to the range operators, not yours on this matter.
, 2012, 07:27 PM #34
Elkins45
Member
Join Date: December 25, 2009
Location: Northern KY
Posts: 216
Quote:
I would expect the hotter the lead the higher the vapor pressure.
You would expect a metal with an atomic weight of 207 to behave the same as water?
Lead bullet casting happens around 700K. The vapor pressure of Pb at that temperature is somewhere around 0.000001 mm Hg. To give you an idea of just how low that is, normal atmospheric pressure is 760 mm Hg.
http://www.powerstream.com/vapor-pressure.htm if you want to verify my numbers. I won't claim you can't poison yourself through accidental ingestion, and powder of the oxide can be an issue, but you aren't going to breathe enough Pb vapor to do it. It's just too heavy an atom.
Plus, think about all the anecdotal evidence to the contrary. Back in the days of molten lead type lithographers spent hours in rooms full of vats of molten Linotype and we don't see reams of stories of typesetters keeling over dead at a young age.
The welders I knew in a previous life were worried about "metal fume fever" from welding galvanized steel or mild steel coated with zinc chromate. The calcium in the milk provides some protection. At least that's what they thought and I have no reason to doubt it.Welders worry about Manganese; the fluxing agent on welding rod.
That's not a problem because metallic lead is not very soluble nor reactive, and the bullet doesn't have much surface area. If you were to grind the lead into dust and inject it into someone, it would be toxic because of the huge surface area. The lungs are particularly good at absorbing lead if it's fine enough.I have a friend here that has a bullet in his leg. He jokes that when he gets an MRI he can feel the bullet warming up.
Why don't these people drop dead from lead poisoning? They have a chunk of lead in them, and yet seem to live fine
Lead poisoning is an unusual complication of gunshot wounds. The onset of symptoms can range from two days to 52 years after the incident.1 Since this is a fatal condition, making a timely diagnosis and starting chelation therapy early is vital.
Lead poisoning from retained lead foreign bodies has been commonly reported within the medical literature
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0046817788803538Lead arthritis and lead poisoning following bullet wounds: A clinicopathologic, ultrastructural, and microanalytic study of two cases
http://www.lead.org.au/fs/fst70.htmlWhat are the lead poisoning risks of a lead pellet, bullet or shot lodged in the body?
http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/159/7/683.fullChange in Blood Lead Concentration up to 1 Year after a Gunshot Wound with a Retained Bullet
The common belief that intraarticular bullets should not be removed has no benefit and may result in unwanted long term complications.
http://www.jbjs.org/article.aspx?articleid=23226Lead Poisoning from an Intra-Articular Shotgun Pellet in the Knee Treated with Arthroscopic Extraction and Chelation Therapy. A Case Report
http://www.orthosupersite.com/view.aspx?rid=2933Systemic Lead Poisoning Due to an Intra-articular Bullet
Well according to the above post I guess we should all give up the shooting sports and just roll over and die.
No, you should avoid getting shot!
Threads such as this do nothing to further the shooting sports or the reloading industry.
They only perpetuate the fear of lead way beyond reason. Even to the point of outlawing wheel weights in California.
I'm supposed to take as gospel the fear mongering of the AMA, EPA, OSHA let alone the CalOSHA, surely you jest.
Anyone here is in more danger driving to and from work! Now, how bout a smoke break!
My opinion and I'm sticking to it.