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Blood lead levels...rising.


jakfrost1

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On 4/27/2019 at 10:12 PM, hrhawk said:

Anyone gone so far as to get chelation therapy? 

I had to undergo it back in 2017. drs couldnt figure out why I was so sick... ran every test but blood work. then at the range one day and someone mentioned lead levels. never dawned to have it checked.. well they were shocked at the results.. two yrs later.... I watch what i do and how i handle things.. 

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I normally don't eat foods on the range that require me to handle them directly. Such as a protein bar where I will hold onto the wrapper or simply pour other foods from the package into my mouth directly. When I have to handle food with direct contact at the range I will wash my hands first. 

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  • 1 month later...

Vaporized lead is much more easily absorbed into your body through your lungs than through skin or even the digestive system.  Lead in primers is reportedly a large contributor, but you can smell the lead on fired cast bullets and even on open base bullets.  I also shy from RO-ing those, or at least stay down wind.  

 

I tried lead-free primers (Fiocchi, shot 20k with no failures) and fully jacketed bullets, but no big change in lead levels after 9 months or so.  Did not worsen, however, despite increasing to 1200 rounds per month from 500 or so.  Someone experienced in heavy metal exposure suggested looking towards other exposures.  My home is 1950's, lead solder on water pipes is likely, drink just filtered water now.  Got rid of crystal bar glasses that may be leaded crystal. Probably need to limit my indoor range use as well.

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  • 1 month later...

Going downrange at the indoor matches always gave me the creeps because of all of the downrange dust and exposure. To the point where I stear clear of those matches now. Nothing scientific, just my own craziness in thoughts.

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Has anyone switched from coated Bullets to plates or JHP, and seen their lead levels decline?  Just curious, I would think this would help.  

 

Shooting at an indoor range may not notice a change unless all shooters switched, assuming that helps anyway. 

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My lead hit 18 and has gradually dropped in 6 years or so to 5.1 for the last 3 years  - no longer shoot uncoated lead or at indoor ranges. I don't know why mine is sticking at 5.1 - not a worrisome level but I have done all I know to do. I have read and believe that some folks are metabolically more apt to take up lead than others.

 

Butter, I doubt much lead gets past the poly coated - I am shooting a mixture of poly and plated.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Every ones body processes Lead differently.  I shoot at an Indoor Range about once a week.  I had a Physical in Feb and my level

was 31.  My doctor got upset with me and gave me 6 months to get it down; I will do another Lead test on Friday (one day after

my 70'd birthday).  I have not shot indoors since the Physical.  When I reload (coated bullets) I wear good quality Lates Gloves.

Here's hoping my level is low.  I have bought a good quality mask that says it removes Lead from air I breathe on the indoor 

range.  Time will tell.  Will post my level here in case anyone is interested.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I too had this issue. Ensure you're washing your hands after range sessions and shower after you get home. Lead is attracted to hit very easily. You'd be surprised how much sticks to facial hair (if you have any). As long as there is good ventilation at your range it's most likely from hand to mouth contact. Good luck!

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Got my Lead Level results back and I was very disappointed; it was 24.9.  My doctor called me at home

giving me the results and I explained to her that I had not been at the indoor range for several months, etc.

She suggested I might want to try a different hobby.  USPSA is not a hobby for me, I love to shoot and

will not shoot indoors until my next Physical in March 2020.  They won't take my blood, because I had

Hepatitis when I was in 8th grade.  Will post my results again in March.......

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On 8/8/2019 at 2:51 PM, Solvability said:

 

Butter, I doubt much lead gets past the poly coated - I am shooting a mixture of poly and plated.

 

Actually quite a lot of lead can get past coated bullets if they are not done right, especially if they are not sized large enough. If you see smoke, most likely that is lead, and inhaling that smoke is far worse than skin contact. 

 

I've been trying to raise awareness about that after learning how many of the commercial makers of coated bullets are selling them in .355" or .356" diameters, which are too small for most 9mm barrels to avoid lead smoke. Hopefully as manufacturers catch on to this we'll start seeing larger diameters sold as standard options. I've posted some pictures to illustrate the issue in this thread, take a look: https://forums.brianenos.com/topic/278206-question-on-blue-bullets-diameter/page/3/#comments

 

If you shoot a smoky load (or someone near you does) at an outdoor range with the wind in the wrong direction, this is a potential problem. I'd much rather hear someone say they shoot in a well-ventilated (i.e. all air moving downrange) indoor range than shooting outdoors with a breeze in their face or across the shooting line. 

Edited by Yondering
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Thanks dr_boone, I had a friend say that was a good drop.  Actually my lead level was not 31 it was 33.5, so it dropped 8.6

which I guess I should be happy about that.  Hoping for a bigger drop in March as I am doing everything I can, at least I think

I am, to get it lower.  I am changing shoes, using D-Lead wipes and my doctor suggested I change my shirt as well? 

If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to pass them on, either here or in a PM.  Thanks, Ron

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On 5/9/2019 at 11:19 AM, CSEMARTIN said:

Don't eat while shooting.

Wash your hands.

Don't sweep brass.

Hey Chris,

It was good to hear from you the other day.  I know you are a Doctor and I would appreciate any advise you can

give me (anyone else here reading these posts).  I do not touch the banana or granola bars I eat at the range.

I wash hands, if I can't then I wipe them with a D-Lead wipe.  And I do not sweep up brass.  I do run the clock

too much, but since I am no longer shooting indoors, that will stop.  My lead was 33.5 in Feb.   Stopped shooting

indoors and did things my Dr suggested I do.  Had it checked again in Aug and it had dropped to 24.9.  Going to

keep up with the stuff I am doing (no indoor, wear gloves when reloading, using coated bullets, using a mask

when dumping my tumbled brass, changing shoes even from outdoor shooting and cleaning my hands with

D-Lead wipes).  Will have my yearly physical in March with blood work and hoping for the lead lever to go down again.

On a side note a Shooting Buddy of mine who is 76 (I'm 70) got his lead level checked and his results were 16.

He sweeps up the brass in the indoor range we shoot at?  Another BE member who may be a Doctor said that the

drop I had was no bad as lead leaves our system slowly.

Thanks,

Ron

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  • 2 weeks later...

I recently had my lead levels checked. Was expecting something under 10, but it came back at 19. Since then I've stopped shooting indoors (I was going to an indoor league and noticed black soot in my snot one day after a match, which is what prompted my concern) and will get my levels checked again in a month or so. Pretty scary stuff: I have a new boy who thankfully tested at 'undetectable' levels. The local health department called, asking questions (they were only trying to help), and sent me a packet of generic info about the hazards of lead.

 

The funny thing is that I've always been quite careful: always wash hands and use D-lead wipes, change cloths + shoes, shower after shooting, and always wear gloves while loading or cleaning. I don't know for sure that the indoor range was the issue but we shall see since that is pretty much all that has changed since my last test. I'm pretty confident that is the major source of my exposure: it has all the hallmarks of a lead hazard up to and including poor ventilation with a steel target bay.

 

The lesson is that one must always be careful and you should get your levels checked regularly. It also has me wishing more companies sold lead-free primers. I have an eye on some of those Fiocchi lead-free primers but will probably wait until after my next test to avoid changing to many variables at once. Regardless if the outcome of the next test I may invest in lead-free primers: a penny more per primer to save a lot of worry is worth it and the best way to vote for more lead-free options is with our wallets.

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On 9/27/2019 at 11:30 AM, Sparky said:

Hey Chris,

It was good to hear from you the other day.  I know you are a Doctor and I would appreciate any advise you can

give me (anyone else here reading these posts).  I do not touch the banana or granola bars I eat at the range.

I wash hands, if I can't then I wipe them with a D-Lead wipe.  And I do not sweep up brass.  I do run the clock

too much, but since I am no longer shooting indoors, that will stop.  My lead was 33.5 in Feb.   Stopped shooting

indoors and did things my Dr suggested I do.  Had it checked again in Aug and it had dropped to 24.9.  Going to

keep up with the stuff I am doing (no indoor, wear gloves when reloading, using coated bullets, using a mask

when dumping my tumbled brass, changing shoes even from outdoor shooting and cleaning my hands with

D-Lead wipes).  Will have my yearly physical in March with blood work and hoping for the lead lever to go down again.

On a side note a Shooting Buddy of mine who is 76 (I'm 70) got his lead level checked and his results were 16.

He sweeps up the brass in the indoor range we shoot at?  Another BE member who may be a Doctor said that the

drop I had was no bad as lead leaves our system slowly.

Thanks,

Ron

 

Ron,

I am sending you a PM.

Chris

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14 hours ago, BryceA said:

I recently had my lead levels checked. Was expecting something under 10, but it came back at 19. Since then I've stopped shooting indoors...

 

... good move avoiding the indoor range. At age 28 I was running indoor IDPA and went from a 6 to a 13 in a few month’s time.

 

Quote

I don't know for sure that the indoor range was the issue but we shall see since that is pretty much all that has changed since my last test. I'm pretty confident that is the major source of my exposure: it has all the hallmarks of a lead hazard up to and including poor ventilation with a steel target bay.

 

I firmly believe the primary exposure to heavy metals from shooting is breathing in the nasty fouling that gunfire results in. It’s airborne.

 

I did not reduce my outdoor range time and was shooting 3 all-day matches a month. I did not change my coated-bullet reloading habits beyond wearing nitrile gloves while doing so. The only thing I hugely changed was completely avoiding that poorly-ventilated indoor range which had a bare steel backstop... Which is just as bad as your steel bay at causing high levels of lead in the air.

 

My lead level plummeted over the next six months, back to 8.

 

I  don’t shoot near as much anymore, and now it’s at 4 or lower typically.

 

(I also work in an industrial environment which undoubtedly results in higher than office-worker levels.)

 

Edited by MemphisMechanic
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5 hours ago, MemphisMechanic said:

 

... good move avoiding the indoor range. At age 28 I was running indoor IDPA and went from a 6 to a 13 in a few month’s time.

 

 

I firmly believe the primary exposure to heavy metals from shooting is breathing in the nasty fouling that gunfire results in. It’s airborne.

 

I did not reduce my outdoor range time and was shooting 3 all-day matches a month. I did not change my coated-bullet reloading habits beyond wearing nitrile gloves while doing so. The only thing I hugely changed was completely avoiding that poorly-ventilated indoor range which had a bare steel backstop... Which is just as bad as your steel bay at causing high levels of lead in the air.

 

My lead level plummeted over the next six months, back to 8.

 

I  don’t shoot near as much anymore, and now it’s at 4 or lower typically.

 

(I also work in an industrial environment which undoubtedly results in higher than office-worker levels.)

 

Thanks for the info.  I'd love to have a single digit lead level.  Doing what my Dr told me to do and will let everyone know how it goes.

Great job getting your level down.  I really do not miss shooting indoors that much.  Being retired I can shoot outdoors more.  Thanks again!

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  • 3 months later...

I had mine tested a little over a year ago, 50.5, three months later is was at 43, three months later was at 38, I haven't been tested since but need to get retested.

I quit shooting at an indoor range that had bad maintenance practices on their air filtration systems.

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Had my lead level checked within the last 6 months, it was in the 3 - 4 range.  I don't handle bare lead, I almost never shoot indoors, I wash my hands pretty often.  Once in a while I wear nitrile gloves during reloading and gun clearning activities. Main exposure to lead dust is when I handle dirty unsorted brass I think.  Doesn't seem to be enough to cause problems.

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