Where lead came from in the old days (USA style)

[Rickf1985]

Some may appreciate:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full...7.2022.2057877

Interesting, I wonder if anyone has ever gone back down in those mines to do a visual survey? Or are they all flooded?

[Kraschenbirn]

Interesting, I wonder if anyone has ever gone back down in those mines to do a visual survey? Or are they all flooded?

When I was at the old Federal #3 two years ago (see my post #8), I was told by one of the (ex-miner?) tour guides that when the mine was shut down, after the salvageable equipment was removed, the entrances were closed with all the ore cart tracks, electrical wiring, and support structure left intact. He made no mention of any groundwater flooding but, given the depth of those excavations, I would be surprised if everything below the local water table isn't flooded.

Bill

[bowfin]

Is is Paul Harvey who is narrating this film? It sure sounds like him.

[TurnipEaterDown]

When I was at the old Federal #3 two years ago (see my post #8), I was told by one of the (ex-miner?) tour guides that when the mine was shut down, after the salvageable equipment was removed, the entrances were closed with all the ore cart tracks, electrical wiring, and support structure left intact. He made no mention of any groundwater flooding but, given the depth of those excavations, I would be surprised if everything below the local water table isn't flooded.

Bill

My understanding is that Eagle Picher in this district is flooded, and is leaching lead into the down stream waterways to a significant extent.
There was a you-tube video and other info on topic I saw a couple years ago. The video was lots of drama, with some accusations at Inhoffe (Senator), but, there is EPA attention too, so the truth is probably a mixed bag.

[Charlie Horse]

Thanks for sharing the link. This is not far from where I live. I wonder if there is some way to take a tour. My niece and her husband live in Herculaneum.

But yes, I'm glad to live upstream from there.

[jrayborn]

I have to admit that I am not an educated man, but I fail to see how lead can contaminate water? Lots of folks have no idea but there are THOUSANDS of miles of lead pipes that supply drinking water all over our country. My little town had a small project replacing or upgrading some water mains and there was lead pipes all over. Lead forms some kind of corrosion that keeps it from contacting the water I believe. Lead is NOT the specter people make it out to be in most cases.

One summer I smelted somewhere near 4 thousand pounds of wheel weights and had been casting bullets for years prior to that. With that much exposure, and having young kids (I kept them away from lead) I had a blood test that registered zero.

Be careful, wash your hands, don't lick the lead to test hardness...

[Bill M]

20+ years ago, we were using Forest Service land for our club shoots after we lost our range, the local Ranger was trying to shut us down! However, seems the FS had done a study back east on some of the old battlefields, and found that the lead oxides had only moved a few inches around the ball in over a hundred years, and weren't contaminating the groundwater.
The result was that target shooting was an approved use of FS lands!

[Charlie Horse]

I have to admit that I am not an educated man, but I fail to see how lead can contaminate water? Lots of folks have no idea but there are THOUSANDS of miles of lead pipes that supply drinking water all over our country. My little town had a small project replacing or upgrading some water mains and there was lead pipes all over. Lead forms some kind of corrosion that keeps it from contacting the water I believe. Lead is NOT the specter people make it out to be in most cases.

One summer I smelted somewhere near 4 thousand pounds of wheel weights and had been casting bullets for years prior to that. With that much exposure, and having young kids (I kept them away from lead) I had a blood test that registered zero.

Be careful, wash your hands, don't lick the lead to test hardness...

Nobody registers zero.

"0.855 µg/dL In 2017-2018, this was the typical BLL among adults in the United States.1"
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/lea...foradults.html

This is the acceptable level:

"5 µg/dL The ABLES program uses 5 µg/dL to indicate an elevated BLL for surveillance purposes."

I have tested above and below the 5 µg/dL level. My doctor quit testing me recently because it has stayed stready around that number, and I don't think it matters that much when you are around 70 years old. Not much chance I'll have a baby anytime soon.