Avoiding Lead Exposure

Robert0288 said:
Long term; neurological, probably eventual numbness in limbs, discolouration in teeth and fingernails (and insanity like mecury poisoning??)

short term; vomitting, diariah and probably other stuff.

Some people also say one of the reasons that the ancient roman leadership went and shat itself by the end is they all got lead poisonning from the water pipes. But thats probably pretty unlikely because of salt and mineral buildup on the inside of the pipes isolating the lead.

time to go check wiki now :)
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Also, their wine goblets (and lots of their other daily objects) were made of lead, apparently it reacted to change the taste of the wine, sweeter or something, and that they likely did suffer from long term cumulative lead damages.

Cheers
 
Don't take my word for it (research it yourself), but here are some pointers:

-Buy D-lead products from TSE, including hand soap, body wash, and laundry detergent (normal detergent doesn`t do a very good job removing lead from laundry). Normal soap doesn`t remove lead from your skin. I keep a small bottle of handsoap in my range bag, vehicle, and by every sink in my house.
-When reloading, wear vinyl gloves.
-When emptying a tumbler, wear a N95 (or better) mask, and do it (and all your reloading) in a garage or area where you don`t store food or fabric you use regularly
-If sweeping up brass or going through a brass bucket, wear a P100 mask
-Wash your hands and face very well with LEAD REMOVING SOAP, then go home, separate your range clothes from your normal clothes and have a shower with D-lead body wash (use some cologne afterwards - since it smells gross to the fairer ###). Don`t wash your range clothes with your normal clothes.
-Don`t forget to wash your hand with D-lead soap after handling your guns and ammunition at home (yes - even handling them leaves a residue on your hands that normal soap won`t remove)
-Avoid practices like what we did (and they still do) in the army when we went to the range: load hundreds of mags then lick the sauce from your IMP`s after stiring your coffee with your fingers, and spreading honey on your bread with your hands (hmm...). In other words, don`t eat while at the range, and try to avoid eating until you`ve had a shower (but don`t fret it if you do - it`s not the end of the world)
-Take 500 mg of Vitamin C at least twice a day, every day, spaced over a number of hours for as long as you shoot (it`s good for you, and it`s a chelating agent, meaning it removes toxins, like lead, from your blood stream)
-Drink lots of water (normal water, nothing else) and pee a lot. I try to drink 8 - 10 glasses a day.

I`ve been doing these for over a year - and my blood lead levels have decreased signifcantly since.

Most importantly:

Don`t get paranoid over it. Shoot, enjoy shooting - just when you`re done, make sure you clean yourself up.
 
harbl_the_cat said:
Don't take my word for it (research it yourself), but here are some pointers:

-Buy D-lead products from TSE, including hand soap, body wash, and laundry detergent (normal detergent doesn`t do a very good job removing lead from laundry). Normal soap doesn`t remove lead from your skin. I keep a small bottle of handsoap in my range bag, vehicle, and by every sink in my house.
-When reloading, wear vinyl gloves.
-When emptying a tumbler, wear a N95 (or better) mask, and do it (and all your reloading) in a garage or area where you don`t store food or fabric you use regularly
-If sweeping up brass or going through a brass bucket, wear a P100 mask
-Wash your hands and face very well with LEAD REMOVING SOAP, then go home, separate your range clothes from your normal clothes and have a shower with D-lead body wash (use some cologne afterwards - since it smells gross to the fairer ###). Don`t wash your range clothes with your normal clothes.
-Don`t forget to wash your hand with D-lead soap after handling your guns and ammunition at home (yes - even handling them leaves a residue on your hands that normal soap won`t remove)
-Avoid practices like what we did (and they still do) in the army when we went to the range: load hundreds of mags then lick the sauce from your IMP`s after stiring your coffee with your fingers, and spreading honey on your bread with your hands (hmm...). In other words, don`t eat while at the range, and try to avoid eating until you`ve had a shower (but don`t fret it if you do - it`s not the end of the world)
-Take 500 mg of Vitamin C at least twice a day, every day, spaced over a number of hours for as long as you shoot (it`s good for you, and it`s a chelating agent, meaning it removes toxins, like lead, from your blood stream)
-Drink lots of water (normal water, nothing else) and pee a lot. I try to drink 8 - 10 glasses a day.

I`ve been doing these for over a year - and my blood lead levels have decreased signifcantly since.

Most importantly:

Don`t get paranoid over it. Shoot, enjoy shooting - just when you`re done, make sure you clean yourself up.
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Good info, thanks. I'm doing about half that already but it's pretty clear I can do a lot more to mitigate the lead exposure.

Mark
 
Lead poisoning from shooting is a real possibility. I like plenty of others on here have very high lead levels. First and foremost is good hygiene. Wash your hands before you touch any part of your body. That includes your #### when you take a piss. Wash, piss, wash. Wash your face before you leave. Do not lick your lips or wipe your mouth while shooting. Blow your nose, a lot. If you need to, spit, use an empty pop can if nothing else (spitting on indoor ranges is kind of rude). Wash, wash, wash. Another good idea if you shoot on indoors is to change your clothing before you get in your car. Wash again after the clothing change.
 
"lead" (the soft, dense silvery metal) isn't a problem, really. There are quite a few people walking around with pieces of lead that have been in their bodies for decades, and have no measurable increase in the lead level of their blood.
The problem is soluable lead salts. Stuff like the tetraethyl lead that used to be a popular fuel additive.
As CanAm said, in most shooting, the "active" or worrisome lead comes from the primer, which produces lead compounds when the reaction that produces the "explosion" is completed.
As for only certain products being able to clean this "stuff" off of skin, I'm skeptical. The whole reason that certain lead compounds are dangerous is because those compounds are soluble in water or water-based compounds (saliva, sweat, tears, etc.).

The advice about washing has, so far, been good. Slavex's "wash-piss-wash" advice is particularly good, and not just on indoor ranges.
If you cast lead, use an indoor range more than a few times a year, or believe you have any other significant lead exposure, talk to your doctor and get tested, it's the only way to be sure.
 
Ike said:
Also, their wine goblets (and lots of their other daily objects) were made of lead, apparently it reacted to change the taste of the wine, sweeter or something, and that they likely did suffer from long term cumulative lead damages.

Cheers
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Yeah they used lead acetate as a sweetner. Overall it is as Paracelsus stated it's the dose that makes the poison. Good hygiene is the best way to minimize exposure. We are far less exposed today compared to the days of lead pipes, leaded gasoline and lead paints etc.

Also, note that it is also the timing of exposure. Developing fetuses and young children are far more adversely affected by lead exposure than adults. Even low level exposures can have a negative impact on the IQ levels of children. Therefore, take care if you are reloading in the house with children. Don't cast lead in the house and a good quality HEPA vacuum is also a must for clean up. Regular vacuums will just re-introduce lead particulate into the air, making things worse.

However, there is still lead (of varying concentrations) in the soil, air and water etc., and therefore there are many more routes of exposure. Flushing drinking water taps is a good idea if you have lead solder in your house or lead pipes. Replacing the lead pipes is also a good idea. Also, depending on the age of your house, the lateral pipe connection from your house to the watermain could be lead. Your municipality will be able to tell you and you can get it replaced. They will even test your water (I know in Ontario this is the case) for free, collecting a standing and flushed sample. Brass water fixtures can also be a source of lead.

Either way, we are all exposed to lead. The key is to minimize the risks we have control over. Keep shooting. Just recognize the risks and minimize them through knowledge, proper handling, and good hygiene.
 
The training I received about lead exposure recommended the following:

1. Wash your hands after shooting
2. Do not eat while shooting and have food put away while shooting.
3. After shooting take a cool shower and wash with soap
4. Wash all clothes from shooting separtely after shooting
5. Avoid complete lead bullets and shoot CMJ or at least FMJ bullets. Lead free primers are good too.

If you are that concerned about it get a blood test and monitor your lead levels. You will probably only have to monitor things if you are shooting at an indoor range. Even then you will only likely be affected if you are exposed daily or an instructor there or something.
 
Lead testing kits are available. A shooter in the States did some testing with one of the kits, and found that some of the highest levels of lead are on the equipment that you carry to the line, where it sits exposed to the lead-contaminated air. Your gun boxes and such are coated in it, so each time you handle them (including at home, obviously) you transfer lead to your hands. Bear that in mind, too.
 
I'm an engineer at a lead/zinc smelter, so I know a thing or two about lead exposure, but I'll just make some comments refering to some above:

A) Lead doesn't take 1-2 years to bring your blood lead levels into a safe range. Your body actively eliminates lead, however, some does get stored in bones, and that will remain almost forever but it's not particulary harmful.

B) like mentioned above, it's the lead salts that are particularly dangerous to inhale.

C) Lead cannot be absorbed from the skin, so the only points of entry is the mouth, nose, etc.

D) there are no special 'lead shampoos or soaps' that are more effective than regular soap. If there was, we would have it in our changerooms.

You can get blood-lead samples taken and submit them to see if the frequency of your range visits affect you blood-lead levels, and take it from there.

My biggest question is: do these indoor ranges have ambient hygiene monitoring or any sort of frequency? If a range has harmful levels, they should have adequate ventilation to comply with worksafe (compo) etc. regulations! Or worst case, you should be wearing a respirator!
 
Im sure there are things most people do everyday that is more harmful then minimal lead exposure =)
 
kootenayshotty said:
I'm an engineer at a lead/zinc smelter, so I know a thing or two about lead exposure, but I'll just make some comments refering to some above:

A) Lead doesn't take 1-2 years to bring your blood lead levels into a safe range. Your body actively eliminates lead, however, some does get stored in bones, and that will remain almost forever but it's not particulary harmful.

B) like mentioned above, it's the lead salts that are particularly dangerous to inhale.

C) Lead cannot be absorbed from the skin, so the only points of entry is the mouth, nose, etc.

D) there are no special 'lead shampoos or soaps' that are more effective than regular soap. If there was, we would have it in our changerooms.

You can get blood-lead samples taken and submit them to see if the frequency of your range visits affect you blood-lead levels, and take it from there.

My biggest question is: do these indoor ranges have ambient hygiene monitoring or any sort of frequency? If a range has harmful levels, they should have adequate ventilation to comply with worksafe (compo) etc. regulations! Or worst case, you should be wearing a respirator!
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Points C and D surprised me the most. I would have assumed lead could be absorbed through the skin, good to know it can't.

Also, does this mean the entire D-Lead product line 100% useless then, if there are no soaps that are better at removing lead than others? I'm not being sarcastic, I'm honestly wondering.

Thanks,

Mark
 
kootenayshotty; [B said:
My biggest question is: do these indoor ranges have ambient hygiene monitoring or any sort of frequency? If a range has harmful levels, they should have adequate ventilation to comply with worksafe (compo) etc. regulations! Or worst case, you should be wearing a respirator![/B]
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Calgary Rifle and Pistol Club underwent a full lead exposure analysis a few years ago and consequently modified our air flow system (it was originally designed by engineers from the National Research Council for the 1983 Western Canada Games). It was and remains as a "total loss" system - one-way airflow from behind the shooting line to the target face at 25 metres, with extraction at 5 and 25 metres. After the analysis we changed the air injection points to better extract smoke from the volume of the shooter's hand, and added extractions at 5 metres. We also found that the major source of lead in the air came from sweeping up brass, and a change to rubber squeegees took care of that. We also put up signs telling everyone to wash after leaving the line. After 36 years of pistol shooting, my lead levels (annually checked) is slightly elevated from the Calgary "community norm", but then I also cast bullets and reload.
Dr Jim
 
Interesting
I never really thought too much about it but indoor shooting/reloading for many years is bound to have some effect. Great information guys.

That being said I live in a area where gas wells are flared off to the air, I eat preservative infested food with so much crap in them I cannot even pronounce the ingredients, pharmacies pump chemical crap into our systems at a crazy rate, companies genetically modify our food.......
hhhhhmmmmmm...............

Sorry about the sarcasm....
 
eagl said:
Interesting
I never really thought too much about it but indoor shooting/reloading for many years is bound to have some effect. Great information guys.

That being said I live in a area where gas wells are flared off to the air, I eat preservative infested food with so much crap in them I cannot even pronounce the ingredients, pharmacies pump chemical crap into our systems at a crazy rate, companies genetically modify our food.......
hhhhhmmmmmm...............

Sorry about the sarcasm....
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True. But this is all about controlling the risks that you have control over. We are exposed to toxins everyday, even lead from other sources. If you have high lead levels in your blood it might not even be from shooting activities.

The knowledge and putting that knowledge into practice will minimize your exposure and help to keep you shooting for long and healthy lifetime.
 
Suomi said:
True. But this is all about controlling the risks that you have control over. We are exposed to toxins everyday, even lead from other sources. If you have high lead levels in your blood it might not even be from shooting activities.

The knowledge and putting that knowledge into practice will minimize your exposure and help to keep you shooting for long and healthy lifetime.
Click to expand...

Valid point.... anything in excess is usually a bad idea.
 
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