Toxicity of Black Powder Residue/Smoke?
I've noticed that black powder shooting is rather more hands-on than smokeless. And sometimes even teeth-on and lips-on. I end up with soot all over after a day of shooting the smoke poles. Some of it from blowing down barrels and the rest I'm not sure. As far as I know this stuff is all-natural. I'm using real black powder and lubricants made of nothing worse than bee's wax and other stuff. But is there anything I need to be worried about?
The OP is not asking about the toxicity of the inert unburned ingedients of BP as much as the by-products, residues and smoke that's formed after it has been burned.
I'm not ready to admit that there aren't any toxins contained in the smoke or by-products that are released into the proximity of the air and inhaled each time a shot is fired.
We're not only discussing BP itself, but also the similar unique by-products formed by the substitute powders as well.
Looking up nitrosamines, it's somewhat clear that saltpeter is a toxic nitrate.
There are also other harmful chemicals arising from acids, chlorines and hydrocarbons that may or may not be formed or emitted during shooting.
While I know absolutely nothing about them at all, I'm not ready to admit that breathing in unnatural amounts of them over a long period of time are safe.
I really wouldn't want to breath in too much BP cannon smoke over a period of many years.
And this is from a person who doesn't think that 2nd hand cigarette smoke is much of anything to be concerned about.
While BP & the other related propellants smoke are probably relatively risk free to the casual shooter, that doesn't mean that they are not toxic and hazardous to some.
If deafness caused by shooting cannons and muzzle loaders was any indication of the potential toxicity of BP smoke, then clearly some folks can be impacted by excessively shooting unprotected. Even though we may not be aware of it, that doesn't mean that some degree of toxicity isn't possible since not all toxic agents have been identified yet.
Let's not prematurely proclaim that just because the pure ingredients seem "harmless", that the combustion by-products are also harmless.
.....Approximately 86 percent of the nitrate produced in the United States is used for fertilizer, though the chemicals have other uses. Potassium nitrate (KNO 3), also known as saltpeter, is the key ingredient in gunpowder...... Saltpeter is formed naturally in warm climates by bacteria decomposing accumulations of excreta and animal refuse. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, when nitrates are present in quantities in excess of ten milligrams per liter, the water supply can pose a potentially fatal threat to infants under six months and to young and pregnant animals
http://www.answers.com/topic/nitrate
I prefer shooting the subsitute powders and the way that I look at it is that the less obnoxious smoke that one inhales the better.
After all, the etymology of the word toxic is:
ETYMOLOGY:
Late Latin toxicus, from Latin toxicum, poison, from Greek toxikon, poison for arrows, poison, from neuter of toxikos, of a bow, from toxon, bow, from Old Persian *taxa-, an arrow
Maybe the archer's bow isn't harmful, but the flying arrows from one can be.
? i just got done reading a book that went over that, it was pretty funny the first time that i read it
, i think it was called -the great guns-..... not certain though
, spent more time readin the book than the title lol
, too much kno3 will make your body not work right
, i dont know how much it would take, but i wouldnt want to find out either
it would not happen accumulatively from exposure to powder or smoke, just if'n ya eat it
