Effects of lead poisoning

H

Hal

New member
I shot some 300 rounds of .22 Saturday at my indoor range. I had to call it quits early because of what I believe was too much lead in the air. I began to have a taste in my mouth, simliar to what a glass of regular Pepsi tastes like after drinking a glass of diet Pepsi. Does that make sense? A while back there was a thread about the symptoms of lead poisoning here ( I think it was here). Can someone point me to it, or at least post the warning signs again? Thanks.

OBTW, if you're interested, I put out a proposal ( No not to DC :) ) on the Rifle forum in the 200 yard rifle thread. I think it may be a fun and informative project, that everybody can benefit from.

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Holy Cow HS! What do you do man, sit in front of the monitor and hit the refreh button 24/7 :) Thanks for the link.

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OK Gents,

Now you have me worried. Does lead accumulate in the body or will your levels decrease with time? If the levels do decrease with time, are we talking about days, months, or years to rid the body of the built up lead.

Thanks,
Chuck
 
Chucko,

If you have noticed an increase in body weight proportional to the increase of your indoor range shooting, you are probably accumulating lead in your body! :)

After all lead IS a heavy metal! ;)

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John/az

"They come, they eat, they leave...
"They come, they eat, they leave...NOT!!

Bill Clinton (aka: Hopper) Al Gore (aka: Molt) Janet Reno (aka: Thumper)

Ants UNITE!
 
Hi Hal,

I'm not a doctor, but I don't think you are going to get lead poisoning from one range session. The bullet spatter is at least 50 feet from the firing point. The taste in your mouth is from powder smoke.

That being said, I hope your indoor range has adequate ventilation, since after while there will be enough lead in the air to be a problem if ventilation is not good. The NRA has range information which includes ventilation, size of fans, number of cubic feet per minute of air movement needed, etc.

If that range does not meet/exceed those requirements, help the range owner to understand the need and take action. Even if a range fee increase is the result, it will be well worth it in the long run.

Jim
 
Jim,
I shoot there at least once a week. Have been for the last 18 months. The vent fans are all new and exceed code. This was the first time I have experienced that god-awful taste though. Thanks for the concern.

chucko,
Follow the link that HS posted. Lead is a potential killer. It is a good idea to have your lead levels checked at regular intervals if you frequently shoot inside. I remembered the topic from a few months ago, but couldn't find it.



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Jim

IIRC, lead "splatter" is only a (small) part of the problem.

That acrid tang of "gunsmoke" we all love is also loaded with lead styphnate from the primer -- breathing that in is a definite no-no.

Lead accumulates, yes, but levels will drop when exposure is removed. There is also a medical process (called "chelating"??? Help me out you medical members) that can help to leach lead from your system.

Hal:
If you run a search using keywords "lead poisoning", you get a wealth of information.

Cheers
B
 
When I was at Ruger Armorer School, my instructor told me, "Heavy metals are your friends." He also told us, "Modern chemicals are your friends." No kidding, he really said it in class (but he was of course, facetious).

Lead gets melted from the gases which propel bullet from the barrel. It becomes airborne and is on your clothes, your hands and on the range.

During firearms instructor school, we were taught not to eat or drink at the range and if we must, to wash our hands and face with soap and cold water. We were also to instruct our students to do the same and to refrain from smoking cigarettes or chewing gum unless they washed first. Clothes were to be washed (preferably at the laundrymat and not in your home machine) and the soles of your shoes rinsed off so your rug rat doesn't pick anything up. The lead level in my blood became borderline (9 miligrams per 1000) and I had to retire myself for a couple of months from range duty until it dropped.

Funny, when I first saw the thread posted, I figured a one-word response: death. Wasn't thinking of lead poisoning other than by bullet.

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Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt
 
Bruce and others~

Lead toxicity in the severest form manifests itself as cerebral edema leading to a toxic psychosis or in children, encephalopathy. With the slow accumulation through the shooting sports, one can expect several symptoms over a long period of time.... abdominal pain, headaches, changes in thought process or personality, decreased memory, decreased appetite, constipation, as well as myriad symptoms. Protect yourself!

Most of the time, elevated lead levels in kids and adults usually are coincidental and have no related symptomology.


Yes, chelation is a form of oral treatment for lead toxicity. There are several drugs, one being Succimer, or meso 2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid. However it has some nasty side effects including nausea, vomiting, GI symptoms. take for 15-20 days.

With seriously high lead levels leading to acute lead encephalopathy, other chelating agents such as dimercaprol and edetate Ca++ disodium can be used. However renal damage is likely with such substances. Also Penicillamine and replacement minerals of iron, copper, zinc, etc should be given on regular basis with chelation therapy.

Also, the classification of how high your lead levels are in your system is the predicating factor for treatment. The lead poisoning scale goes from class I to class V:
Anything over a classIII (lead levels greater than 45ug/dL is considered mandatory treatment, especially in kids.

There are other tests that measure lead levels, but the best thing to do is prevent yourself from exposure.... actually, most lead poisoning cases are caused by poor living environs, contaminated water, and industrial exposure. Hope this helps.
 
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