Blood lead levels

[sniper]

Some time ago, I read an opinion by one of the forum members regarding the advisability of having my lead level checked. I appreciated the advice.

Well, that sounded like a good thing to me, because I have been reloading /casting bullets for a significant part of my adult life, and I was raised in the "bad ole days", when you bit split shot sinkers to crimp them them on your fishing line, carried unboxed, lead .22 ammo in a handy pocket, and drank from the garden hose. My dad was painter, and I played with his red and white lead stuff, in addition to painting houses when I got older. I figured it might be good information to have, just in case.

If I understand correctly, "normal" level is like ~17, and mine was ...you ready for this?...a 1! Hmmmm... my blood was probably more contaminated by the many truckloads of chicken...ahhhhh...manure I strained for a local nursery.

That was welcome news, but it got me thinking... with all I did growing up, which was against modern "wisdom", I wonder if the lead "problem" may be overstated? Of course, it might explain some of my dad's bizarre behavior as he got older.

BUT! all is not lost! My Doc says it's perfectly O.K. to handload those NASTY lead boolits, IF I wash my hands before I suck my thumb!

[dpaqu]

Good to hear. As someone new to this activity I was a little freaked when I read the Wikipedia page on it. I wonder what the acuracy is of these blood tests?

[bobk]

sniper,
Do you lift weights? I wonder if it helps. Here's the reason: In our lead training class at work, they told us that blood levels go high for maybe 6-8 weeks after exposure. Then the lead migrates to the long bones of the body. Well, I didn't realize until a few years ago that bone is a dynamic structure. Stress damages the bone. Then some little guys come along and take away the damaged bits, and then the other shift of guys comes along and rebuilds a latticework of cartilage, which acts as a scaffold for the accretion of calcium, etc, and the bone is rebuilt. So you excrete the damaged parts, and possibly the lead along with it.

Whenever my lead levels have been checked, they were low. But I've been lifting weights for over 50 years. I'm doing triceps pressdowns on my lat machine between typing, right now. I'm 62 years old and I'm not going to stop lifting until I can't do it anymore.

Bob K

[catkiller45]

I figure that if you had to set down alot that you had lead in you a--....I do so maybe thats my problem too much lead

[zampilot]

dpaqu, it aint the lead thats your issue, it's "wikipedia", next worthless in many instances.

[NSP64]

I read just recently that Iron in your diet counteracts the lead. Play with lead eat more red meat

[13Echo]

If you have lead deposits in the bone it will show up on x-ray. Also if you have sufficient lead to get "lead lines" your serum lead will be elevated. As for iron counteracting lead it won't have an effect on lead already in the system. Perhaps it competes with lead for absorption from the gut but I haven't seen anything on that in the literature. Metallic led has a rather low bioavailability which is increased if it is finely divided as in lead dust. Lead shot was hard on birds because they have a gizzard that retains small gravel, and lead shot that is used by the gizzard to help grind the food before passing it to the stomach. That quickly reduced lead shot to lead dust. Lead shot you might ingest will have essentially no effect as it is relatively massive and is rapidly passed. Don't breathe the dust, don't smoke while handling lead and don't eat or get your fingers in your mouth until you've washed your hands.

Jerry Liles

[Stove_Pipe]

Just to add another idea into the pot, what about blood donation? I give blood every quarter at work when the blood bus shows up. The main reason of course is that I hope my blood helps somebody in need, and that if I need blood someday I will feel better knowing that I am a regular donor.

The seccondary reason, is that if lead accumulation is in the blood, and I give a pint of my red goodness, my body then makes up new clean blood to replace it. Whatever was suspended in my donated blood is now out of my body.

[hithard]

Just to add another idea into the pot, what about blood donation? I give blood every quarter at work when the blood bus shows up. The main reason of course is that I hope my blood helps somebody in need, and that if I need blood someday I will feel better knowing that I am a regular donor.

The seccondary reason, is that if lead accumulation is in the blood, and I give a pint of my red goodness, my body then makes up new clean blood to replace it. Whatever was suspended in my donated blood is now out of my body.

Now that's think'n!

[waksupi]

Geez, Stove Pipe. You're twisted! I like the way you think. Much better than leeches, or the wizard bleeding you! I'm sure I am going to learn some good stuff from you!

[NSP64]

Just to add another idea into the pot, what about blood donation? I give blood every quarter at work when the blood bus shows up. The main reason of course is that I hope my blood helps somebody in need, and that if I need blood someday I will feel better knowing that I am a regular donor.

The seccondary reason, is that if lead accumulation is in the blood, and I give a pint of my red goodness, my body then makes up new clean blood to replace it. Whatever was suspended in my donated blood is now out of my body.

And the ARC will wonder why, all of a sudden, that blood donations are up.

[TAWILDCATT]

this subject is all over the sites.ask your doctor how to get rid of lead in your system.you will most likely be suprised.I have posted iron tablets as stored in same place in body as lead would go and the iron replaces the lead and zinc tablets amalgam with the lead and flush out.yrs ago this all started with children turning up with high levels of lead.suppose because they ate the paint on window sills.any reading over nine is supposed to be a warning.I had 45 and no one knew what to do except it was painfulmine is below 5 now.
dont smoke drink or eat,and wash your hands after casting.
they just had a so called expert in mich/minn?? get the game departmen to destroy 60,000lb of donated deer meat to kitchen pantrys,because of lead.then
reseach showed children that ate deer meat had 1/2 the lead as children that never ate deer meat.so they oked deer meat for the food pantrys.its been a scam just like serial no. on bullets.