My lead levels are up.

[JeffinNZ]

Team.

I had some bloods done the other week for cholesterol (yes, it is too high) and had lead done at the same time. I came back at 61 which is considered far too high and is reportable to the Ministry of Health. HUH, the man from the ministry cares about me.....

Anyways, I am interet in hearing from fellow casters who have been tested and have what is considered normal lead levels. I am wanting to hear about your casting methods and bullet handling procedures to see if I am being too slack. I think my downfall is not properly washing my hands after handling material and maybe ventilation.

[Bullshop]

Also consider your shooting methods. Do you shoot indoors?
Dont be so quick to put the blame on the casting part when it may belong somewhere else. Just a thought.
BIC/BS

[rockrat]

My lead levels have been OK even with ventilation issues. However, I am a stickler about washing my hands, and not eating, when I am casting or loading.

Indoor range with poor ventilation could be the culprit, as mentioned.

[EMC45]

Had mine tested and the kids as well. They both came back ok. Mine was average if not a touch elevated, the kids were fine! They told me not to worry about anything.

[captaint]

Jeff, I had my levels checked a while back and my number was 3. I looked on the chart and 3 is very low. I only cast or melt outside and always keep the pot downwind. I'm also careful about washing up immediately after. I have shot indoors. I think the indoor ranges here must be well ventilated. They have good exhaust ventilation systems. I do shoot 22 fimfire indoors at the club, and there's no vent system there. I get checked twice a year anyway. Doesn't make sense not to.
The medical folks do have treatments for your situation. So get treated. Let us know how you make out. Mike

[EMC45]

I think I was 5-6. My kids were 3.

[AZ-Stew]

I've tested 4 and 2 on my last two tests. I cast indoors, but all my shooting is done outdoors. I usually keep a drink within a couple of feet of my casting pot while casting, but not too close.

I DON'T handle food before thoroughly washing my hands, don't handle the mouth of my drink vessel, and I don't smoke. If you handle tobacco products while casting you'll inhale lead. Treat tobacco products like food. Don't touch them until after you've washed. This procedure should be followed while shooting, as well. If you handle ammo or fired pistol cases, then break out a smoke (or food) before washing your hands, you'll contaminate the smoking product or food.

You don't have to go to extreme lengths to avoid lead ingestion, just think about the paths it may take to your body. Then break the links.

Regards,

Stew

[Storydude]

Stop chewing on the boolits man.....they belong in the gun, not your mouth. :-D

[Wayne Smith]

My lead level was a 3 last time my Doc checked. I've had it checked three times now, and each one was normal. I cast outside, on a screened in porch. I don't eat or drink when casting, and try to wash my hands before eating. Given that I'm drinking 2+ liters of water a day my hands get washed frequently, anyway. I shoot outdoors.

[JeffinNZ]

Thanks guys. I feel my hand washing is not up to scratch. I have a barrier cream I try to remember to apply before shooting black powder to ease the removal of the fouling residue at the end of the day. I will start applying this prior to handing bullets and then scrub thoroughly afterwards.
My doctor is referring me to a clinic in town so I will wait to hear from them.
What is interesting is the level I am at is when symptoms start to show and for some time I have been managing depression on a daily basis and mode swings. Lead can cause these. There is a correlation between the time I have been casting the time I have had mode 'issues'.

[sagacious]

...
I think my downfall is not properly washing my hands after handling material and maybe ventilation.
That one right there is enough to do it.

Always eat before casting. That reduces the temptation to snack immediately after (or while) pouring lead. Consider taking a multivitamin w/ calcium before casting to help reduce the amount of lead you body absorbs.

Wash hands and face after casting. Taking a quick shower is a very good practice. Change out of your casting clothes. If you have a dedicated set of "casting" clothes, wash them after each session.

If you cast indoors, maintain good ventilation and cleanliness in your casting area (I know that housekeeping in their casting area is not in the nature of some shooters, but it sure beats an increased blood lead level).

None of these things are difficult or require any expense, it's just a matter of incorporating them into one's routine. Hope this helps, good luck! :drinks:

[bruce drake]

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/wine/leadpoisoning.html

Jeff, sounds like you have the same lead levels as Nero. Maybe that explains your purple knickers! You are imperial royalty and didn't even know it!

All kidding aside. Get your levels down and follow a good hand washing regimen. I cast in my garage to prevent potential raindrops ruining my day, but I ensure the gate is wide open and the fan is blowing everything out. Last lead check was a 4.

Bruce

[docone31]

Now you know.
Do not get blood tests!
Too many other people get involved, and somehow, we have to pay those people!
I have worked with lead since I was 6, or 8. I have never shown any excess lead. In fact, I did not show enough lead to make any comment neccessary.
It is rigged.
They just want your money.

[Glen]

The guidance given by the CDC on blood levels is this: children should have no more than 10 micrograms per deciliter (lead interferes with the normal development of the central nervous system in a growing child). For an adult, the recommended limit is 25 mcg/dl, and for workers in the lead industry (e.g. mining, batteries, etc.) the limit is 40 mcg/dl. Once it gets up into the upper 40s it can start to have a negative impact on things like blood pressure, headaches, etc. Once it gets up into the mid-60s to mid-70s, more serious problems start to appear (stomach bleeding, kidney failure, etc.). Some cases in the upper 70s have been fatal, and other cases over 100 have recovered (after treatment), so there is some variability in terms of dose/response curves with lead poisoning.

[broomhandle]

Hello Fellows,

My lead level has been normal for over 20 years.

About 9 months ago, the shooters at the local indoor range that work for a local Dept Of Defence plant noticed a spike in their lead levels! Two or three shooters beside me have been checked, all of them are high!
The range has up dated it's filters. The funny thing is the guys that work there have good levels!
I don't understand how a hour exposed twice a week can be higher then a eight hours a day five days a week job!

I have stopped drinking a soda or water in the range area.
I use rubber gloves whan loading lead bullets & dispose of the spent primers as soon as I finish reloading.the gloves & primers go right out to the trash outside the house.
I have also started to empty the tumbler outside on the driveway.
itry not to breath any dust from the cases.
I also bought special lead removing soap & wash with COLD water so any lead cannot penetrate my skin.

I'm going to see the Dr. tomorrow to see if the level has dropped again with all the changes I have instuted.
From what I have read, it is less of a problem for adults than kids. I want to be safe as I can.

Best,
broomhandle

[felix]

Have your blood "ph" level checked. If it is low, chances are good for picking up the nasties by default. Hard to increase your natural ph, so take on purpose more powerful cations, like zinc, to dislodge lead. Verify this with your nutritional type doc because zinc can be easily overdosed also. If your ph is over 7.0, there is something really out of balance for you to be picking up the nasty stuff. ... felix

[ghh3rd]

I had mine tested during my physical in early November, and it came back at 25, which the doctor said is considered high. He said that 10 is considered normal now, although 25 used to be considered normal.

I have frequented an indoor range heavily during the last few years. They stress handwashing in cold soapy water before leaving, but I don't think their ventillation is too good.

Whenever I handle anything lead, I wash up immediately afterward.

I just joined our local outdoor range, so I'll wait a while and get retested, and expect (hope) it will be on it's way down.

Randy

[jandbn]

I'm new to lead so I apologize in advance if this is a dumb question. Are the blood level units of measurement used in the US (mcg/dl) the same as used in NZ? Based on comments above, it sounds like we use the same units.

[geargnasher]

I'm new to lead so I apologize in advance if this is a dumb question. Are the blood level units of measurement used in the US (mcg/dl) the same as used in NZ? Based on comments above, it sounds like we use the same units.

You got it.

That's why the medical industry, even in the U.S., is on the same system as the rest of the metric world. A "gram" and a "deciliter" are the same here as anywhere else.

Gear

[leadman]

Another path that lead can enter the body is thru the eyes, as in rubbing your eyes. Also thru nasal passages.

I posted before on the "casting closet" that I built when I suspected by lead levels had risen. The doc confirmed this. My level went from less than 3 to 12.8.

I also bought a respirator from Grainger. With filters it was about $25. Pretty cheap when you consider what it is supposed to do.

I also downloaded the diet that Minnesota published to lower blood lead levels in kids. We will see in Dec. if it was effective.

Just use a very positive air flow to direct the fumes from the pot away from you, wear gloves, wash clothes, yourself, the work area. Buy and wear a respirator. Get tested regularily.

Stay safe and have fun!

[lead Foot]

My lead levels are up I just bought another 30kgs. ;) I know ~ I should go and get tested too.
Lead foot;

[Bullshop]

I have read about folks ingesting lead from china from China. Anything from China that you eat or drink from like that coffee mug you drink from every morning.
Anything ceramic with a fired glaze should be suspect.
BIC/BS

[Recluse]

Jeff,

I went through this earlier this year. My levels jumped up from 6 - 8 up to just over 25 in one year.

The culprit in my case was multi-faceted:

1. I was shooting several times a week in an indoor range with average to below average ventilation.

2. I was shooting quite a bit--average of 300 - 500 rounds per visit (prior to the great primer drought).

3. I was sorting my fired brass at home out in my shop. I did not wear gloves, so I handled a LOT of dirty brass several times a week.

4. I wasn't doing a good job of washing my hands regularly.

My doc had me increase my water intake, and I upped my Vitamin C intake substantially. I did not shoot at all, not even once, for a two-month period, nor did I reload.

That part was TOUGH. But I did continue to smelt scrap lead and WWs, cast and lube boolits. Wanted to see if my casting was contributing.

After 90 days, I re-tested and it was down to 9.

Moving forward, I put some hand towels out by the sink in my shop, an extra tub of citrus based "shop hand soap," and went to the local mart-mart store and bought a half-dozen boxes of disposable vinyl gloves.

I've cut my indoor range shooting down by half, but the range also changed filters and installed a fan/ventillation system that blows the smoke from the shooters bays down range. I wash my hands religiously, wear gloves when sorting my brass, and continue taking Vitamin C (though not in the copious amounts I was).

Last blood test was a 9, and I can easily live with that.

:coffee:

[HORNET]

The disposable gloves are a very good idea when handling either lead or boolits. I've got boxes of latex ones in the basement for when I'm sorting or sizing and a box in the garage for when I'm handling ingots or sorting wheelweights. Barrier creams may work but you can't detect areas of breakdown as easily as a torn glove.

[1Shirt]

Bullshop, I am a studio potter, and thought I would comment on your thread regarding glazes and lead. The biggest issue with lead in glazes is in relation to food and is in all probability from cheap, brightly colored Mexican pottery. It is usually low fired, and has quite often lead in the glaze which enhances color. Lead in glazes has been outlawed in the U.S. now for many years. You may be supprised to know that it is not outlawed in England.

Fireing temps are a key factor in glaze fireings.
Low fire (earthenware) is in general fired to approximately 1800-1850 F. A coke bottle will melt around 1400 F or so as a point of reference. Stoneware is in general fired between 2200-2400 F, and Porc higher than that. Lead burns out at high temps. The issue of lead in glazes is the factor of leaching when exposed to some foodstuffs, and anything with an acid base (orange/gratefruit etc) is a potential major problem with underfired glazes. A few years ago there were reported cases of lead poisoning that resulted from orange juice being stored/poured from Mexican pottery pitchers that had leached lead. Am not sure, but I think there were even a couple of fatilities reported.

If not used for food containment, serving or storage, handling of any glazed pottery will not expose an individual to lead, as glazes are in general silica based, and are, for all practical purposes glass coverings over vitrified clay. There is fine quality china and porc that comes out of China, Tiawan, and Japan, and it is first rate very high fired quality that I would not hesitate to buy or use. I have and use frequently some pottery from all three countries, but not as much as I use that I throw and fire myself.

Your warning has merit, but I suggest that the biggest issue(s) regarding lead in pottery relates to underdeveloped third world countries and Mexico. I last tested 3, and I have been casting and loading for half a century and throwing clay and glazing it for over 20. I cast in a garage with a fan at my back. My kilns are also in my garage, and in the winter it is to cold to cast in the garage unless I am fireing, and my concern when doing so is carbon dioxide from the kilns offgassing. So venting is an issue in the process of both fireing and casting. I am very much a hand washing advocate even when I wear gloves in casting, reloading etc. When I was going thru my muzzleloading phase of life, and much younger and hopefully much dumber, during 5 round matches, I would often keep up to 5 roundballs in my mouth as a way to keep track of the number of shots (that is before I started useing a loading block.) Like the old Pa. Dutch saying "Ve get to soon old and to late smart". I have always been afraid of lead fumes and lead dust, and always been a hand washer. Anyhow, just my thoughts and opinions.
1Shirt!:coffee:

[Bullshop]

1Shirt
Thanks for your input on that!
I was just rembering something I had read and wanted to point out that a problem with an elevated lead level may be from something other than casting.
BIC/BS

[runfiverun]

lead can come from tumbling brass and winchester still uses lead in their primers.
lot's of ways to be exposed to lead other than casting.
also lot's of ways to cut down your exposure other than stopping the casting/shooting.
eating/smoking with lead on your hands is the biggest forms of lead ingestion.

[fecmech]

In my case indoor ranges were the culprit. I had my lead levels tested in the early spring 2 years ago and came up with a lead level of 19. I had it tested a short time ago this fall and I have not been to an indoor range in about 1 year and came up with a 5! I cast in my garage during the winter and load in the basement and I shoot about 5-7K cast rounds per year. I also load about 3k rounds of shotshells. My only precautions are hand washing after casting or loading. If you are a smoker or indoor shooter I think those are high risk areas for lead ingestion.

[PatMarlin]

lead can come from tumbling brass and winchester still uses lead in their primers.
lot's of ways to be exposed to lead other than casting.
also lot's of ways to cut down your exposure other than stopping the casting/shooting.
eating/smoking with lead on your hands is the biggest forms of lead ingestion.

Ditto on that. Whatever you do, don't tumble cases indoors.

[MtGun44]

All standard primers use lead, not just Winchester. There are various
brands (including Winchester) that have lead free primers and fully encapsulated
bullets that release no lead into the air (I suspect when the lead core bullet hits a
steel backstop there is plenty of lead released). The point is to keep the air
clean in indoor ranges, often police ranges.

Bill