Have you tested your blood lead level?

[MarkCO]

Front Sight published an article of mine in the May/June 2014 issue.

[Steve RA]

I just skimmed thru the mag, I'll go read it fully.

[leewongfei]

I was at a 17 last month. I have since changed a ton of my habits. I wear gloves now when picking up range brass, I change my cloths the moment I get home from the range, I wear the same shoes each time I go to the range and take them off once I get home, I bought a big just of d-lead finishing touch and coat paper towels with it to use them as wipes, and in general, I am just really careful with the way I handle everything. I'm getting tested again in a month.

If people are looking for a way to ask your doctor to test your lead levels without admitting that you are a firearm user, tell them that you do a ton of stained glass and that the solder used has a high concentration of lead.

[Steve RA]

I said I cast a lot of fishing sinkers !

[AdamM]

I'm getting tested again in a month.

Don't bother doing it in one month. I talked with a guy who is a GM who had some issues many years ago. He said it takes a long time for the levels to go down naturally. He said it may not even go down within 6 months (unless you are doing chelation therapy, at which point you would only be doing if you were in serious trouble). One month is certainly way too soon! Waste of money doing the test that soon, unless you think it is still going to go UP.

[BitchinCamaro]

Lab results:

3.2 ug/dl

I wear nitrile gloves while reloading, which I suspect is my major lead vector other than outdoor shooting and dry tumbling.

I do pick up a lot of range brass with bare hands.

I'm switching over to wet tumbling exclusively in another month or so.

[BitchinCamaro]

I also wipe down general gun stuff with Lead-Off spray every once in a while: car steering wheel/shifter , workbench top, safe handles, etc.

http://www.amazon.com/Hygenall-LeadOff-Surface-Decontamination-Cleaner/dp/B004SZ2CZY/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1403115120&sr=8-10&keywords=lead+off+spray

[AlphaSeeker]

I do not recall where I read this but it made a lasting impression;

Largest source of lead exposure in shooting sports is 1) handling lead bullets and 2)firing bullets with exposed lead.

People handling lead ammo were found to have exposure levels 10 times greater then those who handled plated and TMJ heads.

Of particular concern was keeping bullets in pockets where lead may contact the skin or perspiration would become contaminated and then be in contact with skin.

While lead absorption through the hands was insignificant, areas around the mouth/lips, genitals, armpits and inside the thighs did provide a means for lead to enter the body.

Lead vapors were a less significant source of contamination. Shooters of plated and TMJ ammunition had minor exposure levels while use of exposed lead and exposed lead core bullets increased exposure levels 4 times greater then plated and TMJ ammo. Readings were taken within 6 feet of the muzzle. Shooting indoors or outdoors did not present a significant difference, when the other listed factors were taken into consideration.

Bottom line: do not eat, drink, wipe your face or scratch yourself until you wash you hands.

When I am at a match, I carry D-wipes and I use disposable latex gloves to handle my food and water.

FYI on oral pills to reduce lead levels - they may be interfering with test results and providing false readings.

Lead accumulates in the body and does not go away by itself. Only Chelation therapy and other pricey meds have been clinically proven to reduce lead levels in the body.

[Onagoth]

...

Lead accumulates in the body and does not go away by itself. Only Chelation therapy and other pricey meds have been clinically proven to reduce lead levels in the body.

If I'm not mistaken this last point isn't true, or at least contradicts my research. Lead in the soft tissue will leave the body naturally (through urine) over the period or 1 or 2 months.

high amounts of lead in the body are stored in the bones....this can stay in the body for 10 years or more. Even if its in the bones, it will eventually go back into the soft tissue and exit the body through urine. Just takes a long time.

The point being is that your body actively tries to eliminate lead

Edited June 24, 2014 by Onagoth

[AlphaSeeker]

The effects of lead on the Liver and Kidneys is reversible and symptoms usually decrease and go away as blood levels of lead decrease.

The effects on the nervous system are generally not reversible.

High levels of lead have degenerative effects on the nervous system and have been linked to development of cataracts and premature cell death in the brain, loss of teeth and bone degeneration. Once lead is carried into the cells, it will be carried out into the blood stream once the cell dies.

Lead levels in the blood may decrease but the damage to teeth, bones, neuron receptors and nerve lining , etc., is from lead contamination of the cells where it accumulates.

Urine will carry away blood borne contaminants filtered out by the liver and kidneys but that is only content of blood and various fluid drainage.

The lead which has left the bloodstream and is building up inside various cells and organs take active intervention.

[JohnnyD]

I have not had my levels tested yet however I feel the fear of lead is often exaggerated. With simple hygiene practices high lead levels should be easily avoided.

I know of many people personally who have been shooters for many years and some that have cast their own bullets for decades with no adverse effects.

Things I do :

• Wash hands religiously after reloading, handling guns/ammo, shooting, casting with D-Lead soap.
• Wear gloves when I reload cast lead
• Do not eat until I have washed my hands at least once, drink at range only from screw on cap bottles dedicated to shooting or disposable.
• Cast in Garage with side door and garage door open with a cross fan blowing out the side door. Always shower after wards.
• Tumble in garage (sometimes place outside if I'm going to be out in garage reloading to baby sit it) not inside house, I try to stand back when I dump it.
• Avoid indoor ranges as much as possible (hard in MI winter if you want to keep shooting, but limited to twice a month).
• Change clothes immediately after reloading, casting, shooting.

Edited June 25, 2014 by JohnnyD

[Bob DuBois]

Retired and work PT at an indoor range. We do an indoor IDPA shoot twice a month I do set up usually. I also sort and package brass. I have seen lead levels as high as 29 in the past but last check a few weeks ago was 15. We keep D-Lead soap in the rest room and at home. One of the keys is to shower when you get home. Lay down without a shower the lead residue on your face will be on your pillow. There's also a D-Lead soap for laundry. Wash hands before before and after when using the rest room. Reloaded lead for a long time never had issues till I started shooting indoors.

Don't shake dust mops when sweeping up brass. We put a sticky pad at the exit door of the range to pull some of the residue off your shoes but a pair just for shooting makes sense.

Lead levels is an issue get them checked during your annual blood work.

[Foxbat]

Latest test came in at 7... so lead does leave the body by itself.

[Guest]

Had a physical a few weeks ago and got the BLL back - I got a 5, which is pretty typical for me (last couple years were a 6).

I was wondering if my BLL was going to be higher as this year as I shot a lot of revolver using hardcast lead bullets. But, I try to be conscious of washing up well and not contaminating things like the steering wheel of the car after shooting. I think that helps a lot.

[leewongfei]

I just had a repeat lead test. Lets see if i went below a 17. Ill post here once i find out for sure.

[9x45]

How do you receive most of your exposure; casting bullets, reloading, shooting at a indoor range, ect.?

You get it from breathing in the lead cloud, and if you RO, from everyone elses lead cloud.

Update for me. I was up to 25 October 14, from shooting Bear Creek 125's on top of 4 grains TiteGroup out of my G17s with BarSto barrels. Switched to Bayou Bullets, coated, same load, and it dropped to 8 in only 4 months. I only shoot outdoors.

If you run jacketed bullets the only source of lead is from the lead styphenate in the primer.

Whats in the barrel is what forms the cloud

[johnbu]

Read the thread, ordered up a bunch of d-lead products.

[Peshawar]

This is a concern that I hadn't thought enough about until now. Handling dirty steel targets, firing in classes next to guys with blasty muzzle brakes, and probably not being careful enough about hand washing are my concerns. Will get tested during my next physical. Thank you all for the content of the thread.

[leewongfei]

I went from a 17 to a 12. I guess i still have work to do.

[ES13Raven]

Anyone know if donating blood regularly can reduce lead levels?

I got my test done yesterday, but don't have the results back yet.

[jiw275]

Anyone know if donating blood regularly can reduce lead levels?

I got my test done yesterday, but don't have the results back yet.

Really???? You want to donate blood with high lead level?

[ES13Raven]

Really???? You want to donate blood with high lead level?

Really?

Everyone has a certain amount of lead in their blood, so all blood donations have lead in them. I never said "high" lead levels - I said "can it reduce lead levels" smart guy.

There are other options as well, like therapeutic blood donations - which are not used for medical purposes.

Edited April 17, 2015 by ES13Raven

[RDA]

If your blood contains lead, and you remove a pint of blood, in theory you just removed that percent of lead from your body. For example, if your blood has 10 PPM of lead and you remove a pint of blood, you just removed about 5 milligrams of lead.

[ES13Raven]

If your blood contains lead, and you remove a pint of blood, in theory you just removed that percent of lead from your body. For example, if your blood has 10 PPM of lead and you remove a pint of blood, you just removed about 5 milligrams of lead.

Thanks. That is what I figured, but I wasn't sure because I read that lead can stay in the bones.

[RDA]

If your blood contains lead, and you remove a pint of blood, in theory you just removed that percent of lead from your body. For example, if your blood has 10 PPM of lead and you remove a pint of blood, you just removed about 5 milligrams of lead.

Thanks. That is what I figured, but I wasn't sure because I read that lead can stay in the bones.

When you get your lead levels tested, it is measuring the amount of lead being circulated in your blood (and not what is being stored in your body). But, lead can reside in your soft tissues, kidney, bones, teeth, etc. Lead is naturally being released from your body (via urine) but it is very slow. Lead is typically stored in your bones and teeth (which is not that harmful) but the bones can slowly leech the lead into your blood stream.

The only way I am aware of to speed up the removal of lead from your body is via chelation therapy.