Lead exposure

[tinsnips]

Thanks for the tip on wet tumbling will now wear gloves.

[GregLaROCHE]

I wonder how much lead I am absorbing when my pot goes on a dripping spree and I get lead splattering. My levels are in the range with people who work with lead. It’s there, but seems to be within reasonable levels. I once had a high exposure that resulted in a very high test number that freaked everyone out. A month later it was way down and finally got to what is considered ok. They say some foods can help you eliminate it faster. I think garlic was one. Seems to be garlic is good for whatever ails you.

[Ausglock]

I wonder how much lead I am absorbing when my pot goes on a dripping spree and I get lead splattering. My levels are in the range with people who work with lead. It’s there, but seems to be within reasonable levels. I once had a high exposure that resulted in a very high test number that freaked everyone out. A month later it was way down and finally got to what is considered ok. They say some foods can help you eliminate it faster. I think garlic was one. Seems to be garlic is good for whatever ails you.

I was told that full cream milk will help lower lead levels.

[Rickf1985]

I was told that full cream milk will help lower lead levels.

And make you fat in a hurry! Funny because growing up I worked on dairy farms and drank raw milk right from the milk tank. No Pasteurization, no homogenization. Just right from the cow. Never got sick and never broke a bone. Didn't get fat mainly because I was young and working 16 hour days on a farm which is very hard work back in the 70's. Didn't have all the automation they have now.

[Old Ears]

I probably should get tested. I'm an A/V technician who when I started 45 years ago would hold the solder in my teeth as a third hand while soldering connections. Not the smartest thing I ever did.

[imashooter2]

Did you stop the practice 20 years ago?

[Side by Side]

I started using disposable gloves when handling fired brass and wet tumbling. I have a 8x8’ building I shoot out of during the winter, it has a bench and a brass catcher in it, I’m going install a fan to push everything out the front double doors when shooting. I use this all winter especially with snow on the ground, saves a lot of time searching for brass, sometimes impossible with 12” snow.


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[GregLaROCHE]

I wonder how much lead I am absorbing when my pot goes on a dripping spree and I get lead splattering. My levels are in the range with people who work with lead. It’s there, but seems to be within reasonable levels. I once had a high exposure that resulted in a very high test number that freaked everyone out. A month later it was way down and finally got to what is considered ok. They say some foods can help you eliminate it faster. I think garlic was one. Seems to be garlic is good for whatever ails you.

You can be treated in a hospital to remove high amounts. My doctor wanted me to go in for the procedure, but I didn’t want too. Tested again in a month and it was way down and six months even better. Probably because most was in my soft tissues and not have a chance to start getting into my bones. I probably have some in my bones to from growing up in the leaded gas era. Car engines were a lot dirtier back then and I would wash all the black grease of my hands and arms with gas, before using a hand cleaner. Small amounts over a long time is a lot worse than a big amount at one time like I had.

[justindad]

I wonder how much lead I am absorbing when my pot goes on a dripping spree and I get lead splattering.

I wondered about that too, but wasn’t concerned until I felt a tiny spatter hit my nose. It had to be tiny to fly that far and not be hot, but I’m certain that is was drip spatter. I’m thinking about placing a deeper pan under the pot than my ingot mold, so there’s a wall to stop the spatter.
*
Also, I read orange juice and high iron vegetables are good for getting lead out of your system. Chewing spirulina tablets is a good way to get iron.

[Rickf1985]

Well, I still have two bullets in me that have been there since 1971. My lead levels are perfectly normal. I was told by the doctors when I asked about that that the lead gets encapsulated in calcium and goes nowhere. I have no idea if that is true or not. I would think that if it is encapsulated in calcium, which is bone, then it would be in the bones and blood. Oh, I have been splattered more times than I can count too. That just burns and comes right off with the burned skin though. I also knocked one of those little one pound lead pots that you used for lead soldiers over onto my hand when I was about 12 years old and burned all the skin off my left thumb. They grafted skin from my butt onto the thumb.

[kevin c]

Spatter might be a contamination issue for your casting area, and can cause superficial burns, but I really doubt it can get into your body unless you swallow it. The particles are too big to be inhaled, and what you touch or otherwise get on you skin can be washed off (just don’t suck on a just burned spot).

[brassrat]

I had blood tests done, last summer and opted for a lead test. I think it was 11. I shoot often, at an outdoor range and never inside. Cast rarely and outdoors. I tumble like crazy on and off and it was 24/7 for six months right before the test. I tumble in my closed up, good sized, apt. and try to keep the dust down with auto polish. I was happy with the test

[Side by Side]

On 2/1/21 I posted I took a lead blood test, it came back a 7. Two years ago I tested a 10, six months later it was down to 6. Today I get a call from the doctors office that ordered the test, they are referring me to a blood specialist. My wife asked why they said because my numbers are up and down. What the Hell?


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[Charlie Horse]

What's this I hear about oxidized lead? How bad is it? All lead is oxidized, isn't it? (Unless it just came out of the pot.)

My numbers have been under 10. 10 was the limit until about 5-10 years ago then they lowered it to 5.

[Side by Side]

Lead Exposure

Went to my appointment with blood specialist, she said 7 is nothing to worry about, CDC levels for treatment is 45. Dr said you basically have to eat lead for your levels to get that high. Dr did take a blood sample to check iron levels and for being enemic. Low iron levels will affect the numbers.Levels may be elevated from 35 yrs of used motor oil on my hands being a truck mechanic. There are a lot of heavy metals in used oil. I need to start wearing gloves when working on engines, transmissions and differentials.


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[Rickf1985]

For many years I used to wash my greasy hands in the parts cleaner bucket half full of leaded gas. If you got a cut you cleaned it in the same bucket. I have never had high lead levels.

[imashooter2]

Lead Exposure

Went to my appointment with blood specialist, she said 7 is nothing to worry about, CDC levels for treatment is 45. Dr said you basically have to eat lead for your levels to get that high. Dr did take a blood sample to check iron levels and for being enemic. Low iron levels will affect the numbers.Levels may be elevated from 35 yrs of used motor oil on my hands being a truck mechanic. There are a lot of heavy metals in used oil. I need to start wearing gloves when working on engines, transmissions and differentials.


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Congratulations on having a doctor that knows their business. I just shake my head when I see all the wailing and gnashing of teeth over 5 or 10.

[imashooter2]

On 2/1/21 I posted I took a lead blood test, it came back a 7. Two years ago I tested a 10, six months later it was down to 6. Today I get a call from the doctors office that ordered the test, they are referring me to a blood specialist. My wife asked why they said because my numbers are up and down. What the Hell?


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Your doctor is a skilled contractor. No different than the guy that fixes your car or pours your concrete. Tell them no.

[Thundermaker]

Lead does leave the body. It leaves through hair and fingernails. That's why you shouldn't chew your nails.

[Martin Luber]

A really Bad source is lead from bullet traps where it is pounded into dust. That and corroded/ dusty lead shot. Bought a sealed bag that turned out to have been in a flood. Lead level was previously 11, now 21.
Only change in my routine was that 1 bag.