Lead/blood test is high

[Lloyd Smale]

ive been treated 3 times by chealting. Mine was as high as 88 and i didnt have any symtons at all. I was told by my doc that if its below 30 dont worry about it. 30 is high for a child but not an adult. Used to be a guy on here that sold the chealting pills. I wish i could remember who it was.

[63 Shiloh]

The Govt just shut down the operations of a lead mine in my state, West Australia.

Seems the mining company was not too careful with their lead handling, thousands of birds just fell over dead from lead contamination. It was also found that a kids playground was heavily contaminated by this mining companies lack of care.

I believe the problem was lead oxide and lack of proper containment.


Mike

[deltaenterprizes]

The first action to reduce your lead is to identify the source of ingestion and remove it.
When I did commercial casting my lead level rose to about 40. I tooks to limit exposure by hiring help and reduced time in the indoor range, this did not help, the problem was a small slot in the boolit collator on the lubrisizer that was nose high causing me to inhale lead dust! A small collector provided by the manufacturer installed over the slot solved the problem.

[686]

IF it is a 50 % increase in 1 yr , i would get another dr. test. they do make mistakes.

[pistolman44]

Here is a place where you can get oral chelation with EDTA for removing heavly metals out of your blood. www.goodlifelabs.com It dropped the level of lead in my blood.

[BD]

I've had elevated BLL since I was a child, in the teens mostly, as low as 8 when I worked out of the country once for 5 years. I've been paying attention to possible sources of exposure for most of my life.

My BLL got as high as forty after shooting a single season of indoor Bullseye. That year my test got the attention of the state, and opened my eyes as well. For the past six years I've kept my BLL below 10, despite shooting and casting as much as ever, by following two basic rules:
1. Never shoot indoors
2. Wash all brass in water with simple green before de-priming or tumbling it.

I believe that the single most significant source of BLL unique to shooters is lead styphnate from primers. Both airborne from shooting, and dust from handling brass. This contamination on fired cases is quite soluble, and can be washed off. Unfortunately limiting exposure in an indoor range is much harder. When I first moved to South Carolina I joined a brand new state of the art "Five Star Rated" air-conditioned, filtered indoor range. Despite paying meticulous attention to hygiene, my BLL was back up to 15 within 6 months. In my opinion exposure to lead styphnate residue on an indoor range can not be readily mitigated. The airborne residue is just too fine and readily absorbed. Short of wearing a full face mask and some type of single use disposable suit you are going to get some level of exposure from every visit to an indoor range.

There is probably an acceptable level for the occasional, (once a month?), shooter at an indoor range who doesn't have any other BLL issues, but I'm not that guy.
BD

[MtGun44]

I have shot at an indoor range most Friday nights for 31 yrs. BLL runs historically about
20-25. This is NOT a problem for adults. The 10 number is for children, 40 is the limit
for adults in the workplace. So you can run 25-30 for ever not be in trouble with OSHA.
haven't checked mine in a few years, probably a bit lower due to not as many indoor
matches these days. In the old days I shot maybe 45 weekeds a year, now more like
25.

Do not eat, drink or smoke when around reloading or casting area, or at an indoor range.
Assume all surfaces in the range are lead contaminated and wash your hands as you leave
the range and as soon as you get home or to a restaurant after you leave.

You will be fine if you take reasonable precautions.

Bill

[Beagler]

Hmmm, my lead level is 15 ug/dl. It's supposed to be <10. I have it tested once a year and this is the first high reading I've had. My doctor e-mailed me and said I should try to limit exposure. She knows I'm a shooter, an instructor and a casting reloader.

From now on I'll always wear gloves when touching ANY lead, quit smoking while casting and be much more attentive to exposure.

Any suggestions? Is 15 really-really high? When they cremate me will lead drain off?

I;m a Maint/mechanic for Deka Battery my blood lead level is currently 22 Last time I checked OSHA removal from lead area was around 40'ish our company standards a at 35 in the blood. 15 isn't really much to worry about for an adult. Just don't eat the stuff for dinner and you will be fine. I get the needle every three months. We had a Hispanic guy eating the stuff just so he could go out on disability He got canned real quick!!!

[nanuk]

When they cremate me will lead drain off?

I think the temps in the crematorium are too high....

the lead will be vapourized and inhaled by the attendants, poisoning them

then when they are cremated....

well you get the picture,

Kinda like Strychnine impregnated seeds for rodents... also kills the eagles and buzzards that feed off the dying and dead.

Best thing is an OPEN Air conflagration like the Viking Movies

perhaps accelerated by Black and Smokeless powder!

[dakotashooter2]

We know your Boolits are pretty but quit kissing them and your problem will go away.............................

[truckjohn]

It's kinda ironic how you can usually tell the guys with high blood leads from the guys with low blood leads.....

The fellow who can pull an oily, sooty, engine out of an old junk yard 1970's Buick and not get a spec of dirt on his clothes.... His blood leads tend to be low.....

The fellow who can walk through a clean room and his clothes come out covered with dirt and grease..... His blood leads tend to be high.....

This is Hygiene.... Wiping your freshly washed hands on your dusty pants.... Guess what - they are dirty again...... Keeping your cigarettes in your pocket while casting.... Reach in that pocket with clean hands - and your cigarettes are now dirty......

Unfortunately, I tend to be that 2nd guy... and I really have to fight myself on bad habits.... Wiping my hands through my hair.... Wiping my hands on my clothes and my face..... Chewing my nails, Washing, then wiping my hands on my clothes or hair or face..... These sort of habits are really hard to break - but working on them constantly is very fruitful....

One that recently occurred to me.... Cleaning guns.... That black gook that comes out is pretty leaded from primers.... Gotta pay attention to where my hands are when around that stuff too.... grumble grumble grumble....

You will never KEEP your blood leads down if you are only focusing on how to get your lead chelated back out.....

Thanks

[reloader28]

I'm scared to get my levels checked. I've thought about it a few times tho.

My casting area is under a specially built hood that I made in my tool room in the man cave. I cast under it on a flip up bench, or I can drop the bench and wheel the BBQ grill under it and gill up some burgers or steaks. The wind blows hard alot here so grilling outside is a pain.

Anyway, its a long house and a longs ways to the bathroom, so I just step out the back door to take a leak. I've wondered many times about taking a leak after playing with the lead.

Kinda gives new meaning to the phrase "puts lead in your pencil".

[Beagler]

Alot of guys at work take apple pectin from the health food stores to help flush some of the lead out. Lead oxide the red/orange kind is the worst to work with its the purest form there is and it can become airborn with a slight wind. Some people retain the lead more than others. Some of the people that have worked all there life at my complex and retired still have some type of PB in the blood. It got into there bones and is slowly working its way out. They where there before OSHA mandated respirators. Truckjohn is right about gettin dirty I get to workin on somrthin and my pants and shirt become the rag!

[fredj338]

Much of your lead issue is likely smoking while casting or smelting. Inhaling lead dust is the fastest way to get it into your bloodstream, followed by oral ingesting. That alone & washing your hands should get you back to normal. I also shun indoor ranges. Even a well ventilated range is going to expose you to far more lead than shooting outdoors. Proper diet helps, lots of soluable fiber like apples & grapefruit.

[303Guy]

OK, so now we have heard how the lead gets into the bloodstream and how to avoid it and what the acceptable levels are but what does lead in the blood actually do to a person?

[Beagler]

OK, so now we have heard how the lead gets into the bloodstream and how to avoid it and what the acceptable levels are but what does lead in the blood actually do to a person?

Extremely High levels over a long period of time Your mouth will start having a sweet taste in the mouth. It will start to affect the nerves and the major organs and to top it all off it can cause sterility. and the list goes on..... They wern't kidding about kids eating the lead based paint chips

[leadman]

Can cause a lose of concentration also. What was I doing??

[Whistler]

They wern't kidding about kids eating the lead based paint chips

Filmcritics: All Babes Want To Kill Me

This paint chip consumption leads to the boy getting Mercritis, a disease which emits a pheromone that makes all hot chicks want to kick his ass.

[Beagler]

Can cause a lose of concentration also. What was I doing??

I don't need lead to do that

[hansumtoad]

15 MICRO grams per decileter of blood is absolutely safe. You can, and many do, have higher levels of that from drinking water.

Their are two OSHA limits for airbrne lead particles. 30ug/m(3) is called the "actionable" limit. Above that and you have to see an MD once a year and have your blood tested every two months. 50ug/m(3) is the Permissable Exposure Limit (PEL). Above that and you must be rprotected by engineering or administravtive controls. Barring that, Personal Protective Equipment must be used.... generally this means respirrators.

The MD that got all wound oiver your blood test results is using the standard set forth by the American PEDIATRIC Association which is 10ug/dl of blood. Unless you're five years old and weigh 40 lbs, this doesn't apply. The OSHA limit is 40ug/dl of blood for an adult.

If you REALLY want to wade through the Fed Regs.... www.OSHA.Gov. CFR 1910 series. 29CFR 1910.1025. Put a cold beer in a pewter mug, get confortable, and be prepared to be bored to tears for a couple of hours.

PM me if you have any questions.