Elevated lead levels in my blood

[Neverhome]

Mine is not thin... just abused! I tend to snag calluses on things and tear them from time to time and seems that I am always working on something sharp and greasy.

No offense meant! I'm in the same boat regarding callouses. I do alot of weight lifting and I have to dremel down my callouses to keep from tearing them.
But it goes to show that everyone has a different situation and possible PPE needs.

[Conditor22]

decapping primers, smelting, and vibratory brass cleaning are the 3 most overlooked hazards in reloading.

decapping primers: wet cases before recapping and use a lee universal recapping die

smelting use a large fan to draw all the smoke away from you, wear a n95 or charcoal filtered mask (I'd say stay upwind but every time I tried to rely on that the wind kept changing.

vibratory brass cleaning: gloves, using drier sheets and NuFinnish helps keep the dust down, do the vibratory cleaning outdoors, wear a mask when you empty the tumbler and separate out the media -- or -- switch to wet tumbling

For the people that work in the lead industry, 45 is the max acceptable contamination amount.

MD's want us all down below 5

[Neverhome]

Navy didn't test between 75 and 95 when I asked why Because they didn't want to know.

CG STILL doesn't want to know. Last ship I was on, every month the HS would take cotton swabs to all the spaces known to contain lead. This was recently. Any space that tested over a certain threshold got washed into the bilge and then shop vacced. This was all coated lead by this point but levels still got above whatever the threshold was.
The CG need NEVER know that I reload or cast bullets but there's plenty of record that I served on ships full of lead.

[CastingFool]

I was tested a few years back, and my lead level was very high. I don't think it was necessarily due to casting, but rather from all the demo work I have done in my house in the last 23 years. House was built in the 60's, so very likely they used lead paint back then. Underwent chelation treatment for a couple of years, and last time, the lead level was liw enough that my doctor said he was good with the result. When I cast, I cast outdoors, and certainly not as often as I would like

[GOPHER SLAYER]

As I have said in the pages before, I worked for the phone company over 35 years. 25 of those years were spent using soldering irons to secure wire connections. I spent years bent over a small wiring frame used to wire switchboard jacks. Cable men were even more exposed. They would sit on a box down in those small rooms built under the sidewalk with a lead melting pot all day. They would cover the cable connections with a lead sleeve and solder each end after they were checked for continuity. All the men and women who worked the mainframe and line frame in the central office were soldering all day long, day after day. I have not heard of any of those people falling over dead from lead poisoning. I have been casting and reloading since 1959. I will be 86 in October and feel pretty good, considering. I don't wear gloves while reloading and I don't see how you could. It's hard enough picking up dropped primers bare handed.

[mattw]

Neverhome... not sure why you would think that you offended me... just told you, I do not have soft skin! Dremel on calluses... had not thought of that. The worst are on the ridges of my palms and a couple of finger tips.

[bedbugbilly]

What about your diet? Anything new that you are eating more of? More fish? Anything different as to where you are getting drinking water - such as working in different area, etc.? Any new medications that might throw count off? I know you are looking at obvious but that might not be the culprit - and as mentioned - labs do make mistakes so I would think a re-take of the blood test would not be out of line.

[dangitgriff]

Blood lead level of 45, I’ll keep that in mind. I plan on getting some blood work done soon and I’ve had lead fragments from a .22LR bullet in my forearm and palm since 1986 or thereabouts.

[FISH4BUGS]

Blood lead level of 45, I’ll keep that in mind. I plan on getting some blood work done soon and I’ve had lead fragments from a .22LR bullet in my forearm and palm since 1986 or thereabouts.

As an aside, I have had a 22 bullet in my leg for 50+ years. There is no way for the body to break it down so I wouldn't be concerned.

[FISH4BUGS]

What about your diet? Anything new that you are eating more of? More fish? Anything different as to where you are getting drinking water - such as working in different area, etc.? Any new medications that might throw count off? I know you are looking at obvious but that might not be the culprit - and as mentioned - labs do make mistakes so I would think a re-take of the blood test would not be out of line.

Interesting observations. Water is the same. 880 feet down. New meds? Yes.....Nexium. New foods? Bought 25 lbs of burger from my friend's organic farm. That's the only different thing.
I called the doc for a retest, but he said to wait 3 months then let's see where it is at then.
It's not enough to really hurt me immediately but enough to be concerned about.

[ascast]

I am not sure what your test tested. I had my levels checked about 2 years ago. Doc said they were just the same as everbody else, absolutely normal. I mention this because I really don't believe you get lead poisoning from causal handling. To that point, I lick blocks of lead to prove the point, used to smoke while casting, open windows when hot and handle bullets all day long and have for many many years with no gloves. You just don't get lead poisoning that way. I NEVER handle old white bullets, I never shoot indoors, I don't handle the skimmings from the melt.
enjoy

[pcolapaddler]

Harbor freight has nitrile gloves up to 9 mils thick. They are pretty durable. When I remember to wear them that is...

Here is a cdc doc on reducing lead levels in blood.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...izBx1M_8hZ2okr

Sent from my SM-G935U using Tapatalk

[Wayne Smith]

You shoot full auto, don't you? Just how many rounds did you run through with the wind in your face? Lead stephanite in the primers is one of the more likely causes.

[Screwbolts]

I have always wondered if the test is specific for lead or just heavy metals in the Blood. One of the main sources of heavy metal Aluminum in our blood is from the Deodorant/Antiperspirant that many still use. My family switched to one of the few, Aluminum Free, deodorants some time ago.

Is it lead or is it heavy metal in the blood?

[FISH4BUGS]

You shoot full auto, don't you? Just how many rounds did you run through with the wind in your face? Lead stephanite in the primers is one of the more likely causes.

I do, but that particular day I was at a range where semi auto only was the rule. I did mostly revolvers.
I will pay attention to the wind direction next visit to the range and will undergo a test in 3 months to see how it goes.

[FISH4BUGS]

Is it lead or is it heavy metal in the blood?

The doc said specifically lead.
I always ask for a lead screening on every annual physical in addition to the regular stuff.

[GregLaROCHE]

It’s important to keep track of your lead levels. Mine spiked very high one when I did something I shouldn’t have. A month later they were way down and six months later, the same as someone who normally works with lead. A high spike for a short time isn’t as bad as a prolonged exposure that lets the lead get into your bones.

Know that lead is an unhealthy substance and do everything you can to reduce your exposure to it. However, with normal precautions, we should all be able to work safely with it. Keep getting tested and don’t do anything foolish like I once did.

[john.k]

Onetime I salvaged tons of steel bridgerails from a site I was driving a crane on.....They were just going to landfill .....sold tons of them to a guy making semi truck car carrying trailers.The paint on them was like 20 layers,1/8" thick......anyway ,they had to sandblast them to weld ,and as you might guess ,the paint was all red lead...I used some for projects ,and burnt the paint off with the cutting torch where welds were placed .....I got lead in the system from the fumes from burning off the paint.

[Geezer in NH]

Interesting observations. Water is the same. 880 feet down. New meds? Yes.....Nexium. New foods? Bought 25 lbs of burger from my friend's organic farm. That's the only different thing.
I called the doc for a retest, but he said to wait 3 months then let's see where it is at then.
It's not enough to really hurt me immediately but enough to be concerned about.

Get another DR. Tell yours why. Have your own order another test. You pay him or your insurance pays him, but he is dropping the ball here .

No Way would my DR. stand on an idea like yours. Get it tested again Pay for it if you have to.

[square butte]

House painting will get your numbers up too if an older home with lead paint - It's the prep work - scraping and sanding