Lead Dust , Lead Handling and clean up.

[44 WCF]

I know that lead has to reach 1100 or so deg F to release vapors, but I read of the concern about lead dust settling around casting area. I was taught to wipe bench etc with cloth soaked with auto dishwasher detergent while wearing dish gloves. I've also used D wipes .
1.Has anyone else used d wipes.
2.Can someone explain "lead dust". Is it particle s that have settled from fluxing smoke, or
3. is there a "lead dust" myth.

I use a "barrier" hand creme when sizing or reloading cast bullets, rather than disposable gloves. Barrier creme and gloves were recommended by a well known commercial cast bullet manufacturer.
4. Does anyone else use disposable gloves etc when handling cast bullets.

[NSB]

Pure lead melts at 621 degrees F. Lead in itself doesn't give off "vapors", it's the impurities that carry lead particulates into the air. Fluxing will increase this transfer. Anyone working around melting lead (pots, etc), should wear a particle mask, wear gloves for hygiene and burn safety. Most cases of lead exposure resulting in high blood levels are a result of handling lead with bare hands and then touching the face or food and/or cigarettes. Primary cause is then ingestion. Breathing particles is secondary as the primary cause. Barrier creams aren't the best way to protect yourself. Wear the gloves and wash your hands frequently and don't eat, drink, or smoke while working with it. Lead dust is not a myth. Lead oxidizes like many other metals and this oxidized material will stick to your hands or any surface it comes in contact with. Make sure you are working in a well ventilated area with ventilation being carried outdoors. I supervised a large automotive tube mill area for a few years where there were 37 tube mills running around the clock and each one had a 3600 lb. solder pot as part of the production process. All operators (over a hundred of them) were trained and tested twice a year for lead "poisening". All cases could be traced back to improper handling or not keeping the solder pot door closed or not wearing masks or gloves. I actually had people heating their lunches up on top of the solder pots even after all the training (and discipline) who seemed to think they knew better and ended up with high lead levels. Use some common sense and follow the correct safety guidelines and you'll be safe. You might want to get your level checked now if you do a lot of casting and then get it checked yearly to see if you're keeping it under control.

[S. Galbraith]

I stopped casting a few years ago, not because I didn't enjoy it, I just ran out of time. I barely have time to reload these days. In my job I have to get medical exams every three years which include blood level tests. I did not have abnormal levels when I cast bullets, but I was cautious about handling lead and would wear gloves when ever possible and made sure my work area was well vented. However, I had two blood exams in recent years where my lead levels were elevated. I am guessing that this was due to handling large volumes of fired brass, and not getting enough venting near my brass tumbler and sorter. So, I started wearing surgical gloves when handling dirty or tumbled brass and my lead levels have stabilized. Now days I use an ultra sonic brass cleaner which eliminates the dust issue, and makes for cleaned brass with less lead residue.

I guess my best advice is to always be conscious of lead exposure and always take measures to reduce exposure.

[bangerjim]

Dust is the biggest carrier. Dry vib tumbling in a closed room is very dangerous. That dust can have all kinds of nasties in it. I do all my cleaning outside with the evap running blowing all the dust away from me. And all my casting and re-melting is done outside.....year round! We can do that here in the desert SW.

Just use common sense. Breathers/respirators/full hazmat body suits......it's up to you! Unless you are doing all this in a sealed closet, I see no need for any of it. Hand/eye/body protection from hot lead is far more important to me.

Happy casting.....and Merry Christmas!

banger

[Bent Ramrod]

Elemental lead and its alloys will splash around, naturally, but the "dust" problem is mainly that dirt that gets skimmed off after fluxing. The lead oxide in the dross is in a form that can be dissolved in water by bodily fluids, rather than the strong acids that are needed to dissolve elemental lead. As long as you don't get that on your clothes, and you wash your hands after casting, you should be OK. A temperature that vaporizes lead is far above what would be reached in a normal casting session.

[44 WCF]

Wow, these ere the best explanation I've ever had. I am going to redo my bib tumbler set up . Good stuff to know. Powdered disposable gloves have been easy to get used to and will use them more now.

[bullet maker 57]

I always wear disposable gloves every time I handle lead. I smelt and cast outside with a fan blowing the air from behind me. Not much casting in the winter. I also wash up after casting with D-Lead soap.

[44 WCF]

This has been very informative discussion. Thanks for the input.

[Dakooz]

Good info. ...Looks like I need to get some latex gloves and run my dry tumbler in the garage

[44 WCF]

Yep I've got to revamp my tumbler set up and go to a media separator that is enclosed.

[pcolapaddler]

Good discussion. I'm a bit new, just starting out. Have cast some ingots but no boolits yet.

I need to get a mask. What kind of particle mask so you guys use?

What is D Lead soap? I have just been using whatever soap was at hand.

The wife is a bit nervous about this new activity. She has sort of gotten accustomed to my reloading.

Thanks

[44 WCF]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00VG1...2BL&ref=plSrch

D-Lead is brand name of products used in industry and recreation to clean up heavy metal residue. I also use their hand wipes Amazon and midway are sources . I use. 3m brand dust mask from local welding shop. Gonna start wearing one when I take stuff out of tumbler even out side.

[JSnover]

The only time I worry about dust is when I'm recycling my dross (which I believe is more likely to contain elevated levels of arsenic and antimony) - when the old five pound coffee can is full. For that I wear a mask. I do all of my casting and rendering in a ventilated area and don't eat, drink or smoke until I've washed my hands. In twenty years my lead levels have always been negligible.

[Dragonheart]

As already stated ingestion is the main cause of lead poisoning, but lead can also enter through the eyes and nose. Lead does not have to boil to produce harmful vapors. The only way to be completely safe is with a full face respirator with vapor/HEPA cartridges.
The biggest danger of lead poisoning is to children, which can handle only 10% of the exposure that an adult can. In most cases the damage caused by lead poisoning to a child is not reversible. What most don't realize is the small amount of lead dust required to poison a child. For a comparison if you took the same amount of lead dust equal to the volume of the powder in a package of artificial sweetener and sprinkled it on the floor throughout an average size home that tiny amount would be enough to poison a small child. Lead dust is created when lead or anything containing lead is rubbed by something else. Lead dust is heavy and typically settles on floors, window sills, cabinets, etc. any flat area. The dust is so fine you are not aware it is there. Lead dust can easily be tracked from your work area throughout your home. Your casting area should be limited to just adults that have adequate protection, are aware of the dangers of lead exposure and inadvertently exposing others including pets.

[44 WCF]

Hopefully someone with technical expertise can answer a question. I still use vibratory dry tumbler. Question...will adding rejuvenater or reactivating cream or liquid to dry media help reduce airborne dust like I think it would, and is primer residue present on cleaned cases concentrated enough to be a concern. Even wearing dust mask and disposable gloves while separating brass and media, I'm handling what I think is clean brass when I reload.

[dragon813gt]

I used to routinely work in an Exide battery plant. So much so that I had to have the mandatory blood test. Want to know what PPE was required? Disposable gloves. Guys in the oxide mill would wear respirators because they were in there day after day.

Wash your hands routinely, don't eat and and don't smoke in your casting area. That's all that's really needed. I just did my OSHA 10 training this week. They spent a good forty minutes on lead contamination. All they said was exactly what I posted. The single test question answer was to not eat before washing your hands.

Lead is a real hazard. But it's also somewhat overblown. You need to be very cautious w/ children. But good hygiene practices are really all that's required for adults.

[rosewood]

Doesn't the body naturally remove lead from itself? It only becomes a problem with excessive exposure that exceeds the bodies natural ability to remove it. If you are casting every day and licking your fingers, it can be an issue, but I would bet for an occasional caster that only does maybe 2-3 times a month, if you take basic precautions, ventilation, washing your hands etc, you will not exceed what your body can handle.

I bet I wash my hands 10 times in any given casting session and when reloading, I wash my hands before touching anything else, but then again, I am OCD about clean hands. I also use heavy leather gloves while casting, cotton clothes and leather shoes and safety glasses
.

[Dragonheart]

As a certified Lead Inspector/Risk Assessor for over 20 years I will attempt to answer the last questions. As far as cleaning your brass you are dealing with the residue left from igniting the powder so I do not think lead is a big issue here. However, breathing in anything but fresh air can cause problems, so I would err on the side of safety. When I tumble my brass I have the lid off the tumbler and tumble outside so the wind blows away the fine dust, even sawdust is hazardous.

The same goes for casting; the best place would be on a grass covered area so any lead dust coming off the process would settle into the grass and not be tracked into the house. But due to weather, etc many may not have that option so keeping your work area wet cleaned and wet mopped is prudent. Tracking the lead dust out of this area into your living areas needs to be avoided. As stated, ingestion is the main cause of elevated lead levels so no hand to mouth contact. A fan running behind a casting pot that is venting the fumes outside is usually sufficient, but for big pots melting down recovered lead I would recommend a full face respirator with vapor/HEPA cartridges, as you are heating a lot more than just lead. Additionally, realize lead contamination can be on your clothing.

Elevated lead levels in those working around lead containing materials is more common than you would think, because of the mentality if I can't see it it's not a problem. But the real danger with lead is to small children whose brain and body is still developing. If you are careless the lead doesn't go away by itself, it remains on surfaces where a child or a pet can pick it up, or you can be the carrier of lead dust to your kids or grandkids.

Lead does not leave your body under normal processes, lead stays in your body and redeposits into other areas like your bones. To remove lead from your body you have to undergo a chelation process. So the only safe blood levels of lead is "NO Lead".

And for those that continue to say lead is not an issue, think about this; Lead brought down the Roman Empire. The Romans were quite advanced, they had indoor baths, running water, cisterns, wine vats, etc. all lined with lead. We now know that lead poisoning became a major issue with the Romans and the resulting brain damage caused by lead poisoning.

[jsizemore]

I have a question for the crowd that wears gloves to handle lead. Do you wear gloves to load your magazine or chamber when shooting?

[popper]

Another good reason for coated boolits - no contamination when handling.