My Wife is an environmental scientist (save it) and worked for the EPA for 13 years as an investigator (again, save it), when Instarted casting she had a hard time with it. I being the newbie to the conversation had to do alot of reading, or what the kids these days call “research”. Of course I found the usual answers that you all know, IE we are not smelting, we are simply melting, there is no ore involved, midigate fumes, wash up etc etc. She was still not thrilled, started to get tested by the Quack, first two years were 3 and 4 dm, had one year I was being a little sloppy, digging in berms etc, it went up to 7, has dropped back down. Meanwhile my Wife has been mostly placated. I really think they focus so much on the horrors of lead in colleges that the students have a hard time recognizing the boundies of common sense. Its like anything, midigate risk. Vent the fumes, wash yer mitts, clean up etc etc. Kinda like riding a motorcycle, be smart. That being said if kids are around you really should be extra diligent about clean up and keeping them away, Ive seen what lead can do to little growing brains and its nothing anyone wants to see a child deal with.
Be smart and cast on.