Lead exposure

[retrobass]

I read that you are exposed to more lead from the compound in primers that you are from casting and reloading.
Leadmelter
MI

This. I bought a Harbor Freight rock tumbler to play around with wet tumbling. Should really minimize exposure to nasty old primer dust.

[brewer12345]

opening the lid on your dry tumbler will expose you to more lead than a years worth of lead handling ever will.

Which is the primary reason I went for a wet tumbler. I also stay out of indoor ranges even though there is a new, state of the art one nearby. I do not trust their ventilation to keep me safe (plus I always seem to end up in the lane next to the idiot shooting a 30-06 at a 25 yard target indoors). Casting outdoors, reloading, and shooting outdoors do not worry me in the slightest.

Now safety vs. being burned by a pot of 700F lead is another story. Welder's gloves, leather apron, leather shoes, natural fiber pants and long sleeved shirts, and a face shield are what I wear.

[Drew P]

Never use anything OSHA says as safe. That agency has no interest in your health at all, their only goal is to reduce insurance costs for companies.

[Scooby]

I get tested for lead levels and Lymes disease every six months, I worked for a commercial cast bullet company for 6 years my levels were never high, plus the exposure I got on my own time cleaning indoor ranges and making shot. My PCP told me as long as you do not smoke and handle lead it is really hard to get your levels high with just ingestion. This is for adults children carry a much higher risk due to brain and neurological development. There is a product called D lead soap you can use or wear latex gloves if you want to be sure.

[RogerDat]

Get tested as part of annual physical. Provides a base line. As mentioned the dust from primers is a worse source than physical lead, if you wet wash your brass wear rubber gloves to avoid having water with the lead dust from primers on you skin. I was slightly elevated my PCP sent me to a specialist who said with a level less than 10 his only concern is what is the source. Is it a known and managed exposure or something that is unknown and could continue to increase exposure.

Use mineral spirits and NuFinish polish to keep down the dust from tumbler media. I think that and reaching into 5 gallon buckets of brass that was soaking, oh and climbing through big bin of brass digging for my caliber (my lord 9mm brass is like freaking cockroaches of the brass bin) That last one was my big no-no. Stopped doing that and wore rubber gloves for washing brass and dropped 2 points.

Harbor Freight - Bulk box of Nitrile gloves at both the garage and reloading bench in basement, and a couple of pair of leather gloves from Walmart just for lead. One in car, one in garage.

+1 on the white lead oxide powder, that is more dangerous because it will dissolve in water to be absorbed (sweat for instance) and can become airborne and inhaled.

Kids and pets are counting on us to keep them and lead apart, having a new puppy means I have to be anal about splatter on floor of garage, or pieces where fur kid can access. Puppy chews or licks self so even walking through the splatters on floor is an issue, and no doubt puppy would chew a solder bar if not watched, as would I think some small kids.

[William Yanda]

" have organic forms of lead that are more bioavailable." Please let me quibble. I believe you mean "soluble" forms of lead. In chemistry, organic refers to compounds containing carbon.

[dondiego]

" have organic forms of lead that are more bioavailable." Please let me quibble. I believe you mean "soluble" forms of lead. In chemistry, organic refers to compounds containing carbon.

Methyl mercury is extremely deadly.