keeping blood lead levels down

[yammerschooner]

For as much lead as I handle I seem to do a fairly decent job of keeping my lead levels close to 6-7 mcg/dl (other than one incident of carelessness about two years ago). I am convinced the key is safe handling procedures; however, today I may have figured out what may also be helping me out.

I go through tons of smoked oysters, milk, orange juice, and grapefruit juice.

It turns out iron reduces lead levels while vitamin C helps iron absorbtion. It seems that the stuff I choose to eat anyway are some of the best I foods I could choose given my propensity to dabble with the silver stream.

[JLarsson]

I originally started taking a Calcium supplement because it also had Magnesium and Zinc in it, which purportedly helped in keeping lead levels low.

I think another thing that has helped is avoiding all things that are supposed to "put some lead in your pencil". I want to write my name in the snow, I'll do it the old-fashioned way.

[yammerschooner]

How often do you get your's checked, and where do you normally measure out?

[MakeMineaP99]

I've never had mine checked, although eating out three times a day will probably kill before the lead.

[JLarsson]

I've never had mine checked just for lead. I've had a few complete blood panels and no red flags.

Darn - now I want to know what my number is.

[jawjaboy]

I go through tons of smoked oysters

We like 'em purdy good too Yammer. Taste mighty rich to me, so I go easy on 'em. Granny a eat 'em up though. :thumbsup:

[Sky Pilot]

Metals of any kind are (if memory serves) absorbed 60 times better if inhaled than ingested. My wife had high lead, nickle, aluminum and a few other metals from living along the Ohio River, in close proximity to an aluminum smelter and a coal fired power plant.

[trickyasafox]

I get it checked every year when they draw blood for my cholesterol check. I went from 8 PPM to 15 PPM in one year- So I changed my tumbling habits. we'll see in another month if it helped.

[MullahElRon]

I shoot outside the compound and pollute the future homesites of californicators. Makes me feel...aight.

Dat tumblin'... Sift upwind, wear you some gloves and a respirator. Dat where da real nasty at.

[yammerschooner]

I just ran across the following, which distinguishes between lead in blood and lead in bone.

http://www.mssm.edu/cpm/xrf/why.html#Possible%20mobilization%20of%20lead%20fro m%20bone

Blood lead levels apparently have a 36 day half-life and don't appear to be the best way to check long term exposure.

Interesting stuff.

Going to have to do some more research and have some questions for the doc when I go in in June.

[Trooperdan]

Been afraid to have mine checked; afraid the EPA or someone would have to notified and then they would be pokeing around my home smelting operation and declare me a toxic waste dump! Too bad they don't offer anonymous lead testing like for HIV! :)

[cohutt]

Got my first lead level results today, requested itin my physical blood work.

Higher than I hoped for @ 20.

Tumbling (mainly sifting) habits are going to improve.

Of course years of renovation & dust inhaling in a circa 1870 house might have something to add....


Blood pressure sliding up again too dammmmmnit.

[MakeMineaP99]

Damn, Cohutt, you hanging around the office to much.

Get on the golf course, I hear golf cures high lead levels and blood pressure. For real.

ETA: Just for the record, blood lead levels are measured in mg/dL, for any of you wondering.

[freakshow10mm]

That would be "milligrams per deciliter".

[MakeMineaP99]

Right, mg/dL, did I misspell something?

[yammerschooner]

Right, mg/dL, did I misspell something?

Actually it is mcg/dl. Microgram, not milligram.

[MakeMineaP99]

Then it should be mew, looks similar to a u, g/dL.

[ISUSteve]

Then it should be mew, looks similar to a u, g/dL.


Damn engineers. Always have to correct everybody and show how smart they are. I'm sick of it.


Oh, its spelled mu and looks like:
μ

[MakeMineaP99]

Y'all know I can't spell. I ain't smart either, you got me there.

[MakeMineaP99]

Got my first lead level results today, requested itin my physical blood work.

Higher than I hoped for @ 20.

Tumbling (mainly sifting) habits are going to improve.

Of course years of renovation & dust inhaling in a circa 1870 house might have something to add....


Blood pressure sliding up again too dammmmmnit.

Based on some reading I've been doing, your BLL doesn't sound elevated:

Blood Lead Levels

BLL measurements show the amount of lead circulating in the blood stream, not the amount of lead stored in the body. BLLs do not show either the current, or cumulative effects of lead on a person's body.

Blood lead levels are reported in micrograms per deciliter (µg/dl), or micrograms per 100 grams (µg/100 g) of whole blood, which is approximately equal to µg/dl.

The standard elevated blood lead level (BLL) for adults' set by the Center for Disease Control is 25 micrograms per deciliter (25 µg/dl) of whole blood. This level recognizes that every adult has accumulated some lead contamination.
The level for a child is much lower, currently it is 10 micrograms per deciliter (10 µg/dl) of blood.
Top (http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/hwtr/demodebris/pages2/lbloodtest.html#top)

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/hwtr/demodebris/pages2/lbloodtest.html

For non-pregnant adults, a level below 25 micrograms per deciliter is generally considered to be acceptable.

http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/lead/test.html

[AdamN]

Yes while 20 may be considered acceptable it does indicate something is not right. The last time I had mine checked it was 10. I probably need to get tested again, its been a couple years.

If mine checked at 20 I would certainly try to be a little more careful. Shooting indoors is really bad, the dust from tumbling as was mentioned.
When handling lead/shooting dont smoke, eat, bite your fingernails, anything that would get your hands near your mouth.

Re-check in 6 months or a year and hope for a lower result.

[MakeMineaP99]

I'm not saying not to have some concern, but giving a perspective, nothing more.

When handling lead or other hazmats, precautions should be taken, as perscribe by industry and OSHA standards, noted on MSDSs.

[ept000]

I wash all my brass in water with soap and vinigar before tumbling. Not only does it come out better than new, but it keeps all the dust down. I'm sure I have not removed all the lead, but I am willing to bet it's better than just tossing dry brass in the tumbler.
I do plan on requesting a lead test the next time I have any blood work done.

[MakeMineaP99]

Here's an interesting idea:

I should get my blood work done, see my lead level.

I'll clean all my brass in the ultrasonic cleaner, and leave the tumbler barren for a year.

This will indicate if tumbling is the source of lead exposure.

[ept000]

Here's an interesting idea:

I should get my blood work done, see my lead level.

I'll clean all my brass in the ultrasonic cleaner, and leave the tumbler barren for a year.

This will indicate if tumbling is the source of lead exposure.
I would be intrested in the results of that.

[ISUSteve]

Make sure your foodstuffs aren't lead-lined. That really killed 'em dead in my day.

[ept000]

Make sure your foodstuffs aren't lead-lined. That really killed 'em dead in my day.
I have already licked half the paint off my Hanna Montanna lunch box. Is that going to be a problem?

[AdamN]

Here's an interesting idea:

I should get my blood work done, see my lead level.

I'll clean all my brass in the ultrasonic cleaner, and leave the tumbler barren for a year.

This will indicate if tumbling is the source of lead exposure.


As long as youre wearing a lead approved mask or at least avoiding the dust cloud tumbling is fine.

If youre dumping your brass in a 5 gallon bucket and sticking your head in there to see how shiny it is you may get a snoot full of lead enhanced dust.

The primer compound is the worst for creating airborne lead dust.

The worst lead blood levels I have seen were people who shot indoors.

[cohutt]

For non-pregnant adults, a level below 25 micrograms per deciliter is generally considered to be acceptable.



I haven't had a pregnancy test yet, maybe I should just to be certain.....

[AdamN]

I haven't had a pregnancy test yet, maybe I should just to be certain.....

You should really use protection:iagree:

[cohutt]

You should really use protection:iagree:
you size those oval boolits i sent ya yet?

[AdamN]

you size those oval boolits i sent ya yet?


No Im workin now:cryin:

Did ya check yours?

[Crazy4nitro]

I used to come home from the Indoor shooting match with this weird "High Frequency" Headache.
Glad I dont do that anymore..
Well actually it Might have been because when I wore my Muff's,I had to Take off my Foil Lined Mickey Mouse Ears...You Decide..YMMV

'Nitro

[cohutt]

No Im workin now:cryin:

Did ya check yours?

No - i was in a big assed hurry to cast some samples, size/lube and load in one night so i could test some in the mac up at the property after i bushhogged last weekend.

i only cast 75 or so, sized / loaded a couple dozen then the glue ball i had in my punch fell out (no punch i have fits well). I sent you the balance.

They fed about as good as 50AE would in the mac, so i shot up the other 20 or so through the kimber.

I found the alignment pin sleeve in the water drop bucket after i got back and sent you the zeros. po'd, gotta doe the jb weld to fix it.

the 230 grain cone headed lees fared much better.

[MakeMineaP99]

You need some JB weld, Cohutt? I got lots of it (wish I would have known when I was down there, I'd have hooked you up with some).

[AdamN]

i only cast 75 or so, sized / loaded a couple dozen then the glue ball i had in my punch fell out (no punch i have fits well). I sent you the balance.


If you keep casting ya need to get a Star/Magma sizer. Its just to darn effecient at sizing to ignore.

The more I use other brands of molds, the more I hate the Lee molds:ready:

[MakeMineaP99]

Why's that?

[AdamN]

Bullets undersized, bullets out of round, alignment pins falling out, Aluminum sprue plate galling, screws not staying tight.

Really stuff that I thought was normal to have to deal with; until I got a quality mold and found out I had none of those issues and just had to cast bullets.

[MakeMineaP99]

Are you running H&G moulds? I'm thinking locating a couple and doing it right.

I'm also still looking for a Star, looks like there's a good one on ebay right now, hopefully I'll get it.

If you had to buy moulds tomorrow, what would you get?

[freakshow10mm]

Handles breaking, molds warping, voids, inconsistent venting.

[yammerschooner]

If you had to buy moulds tomorrow, what would you get?


Ballisti-Cast and Magma for me.

Basically, non aluminum molds are where it is at. Lee molds are good for what you get, but picky people don't choose them. I really like Lee's .40 175 TC boolit, but I am pretty sure I have something similar in BC or Magma, so that mold is probably retired.

[MakeMineaP99]

Ballisti-Cast bought H&G's tooling when they retired, I may have to go through him, original moulds sell for more than new from BC.

Damn moulds are expensive, the 6 cavity are $300 a piece, a couple three of those is 2-3 firearms!

[yammerschooner]

My choices were based mainly on the fact that they easily fit my machine, and can take a heck of a lot of use.

There are other good molds out there. I have been happy with the lymans I've used.

[AdamN]

I look at Lyman first, good 4 cavity molds if they have a style you want. I have a couple of Ballisti-Cast molds. Fantastic quality and you get exactly what you need.

On my Ballisti-Cast/H&G 68 mold. Told them the dia I need the bullet to be and the alloy I was using, Less than 2 weeks I had it, beautiful workmanship, bullets came out as I needed.

Look at the price of several thousand bullets, If I need to experiment Ill beg a few bullets or borrow a mold if necessary. When I decide on something Im going to shoot a lot of I get something I can count on.

Spend $300.00 on bullets; send them into the berm and there gone (unless you dig them up)

I did luck into a Saeco 4 cavity 130 recently, never tried one they have a good reputation. Looking forward to getting it.

[freakshow10mm]

Lee molds:
custom 10mm 225gr SWC double
30 caliber 115gr soupcan double
10mm 145gr SWC double
452 230gr TC 6 banger
10mm 175gr TC 6 banger
459 500gr FNGC double
452 190gr SWC double
32 115gr RN 6 banger

RCBS:
32 98gr SWC double
38 90gr RN double

Lyman
378674 single 378 330gr RN
358495 double 358 141gr WC
375449 single 375 265gr FNGC
452460 4 banger 452 200gr SWC

NEI
358 180gr FPGC 2 and 4 banger

On the way from Mountain Molds:
.460 525gr WFN-GC (45/70)
.412 285gr Keith SWC (41 Mag)
.314 135gr Keith SWC (32 H&R)

[MakeMineaP99]

Adam,

See here, to avoid hijacking any further.

http://www.glockpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2959

[chewy]

I just try not to get shot. But them nutritional stuff posted sounds like a good idea. I live close to some maj. uranium mine however, so I may want to keep my lead levels (non-gettin' shot levels) moderate.

[yammerschooner]

Got my first lead level results today, requested itin my physical blood work.

Higher than I hoped for @ 20.

Tumbling (mainly sifting) habits are going to improve.

Of course years of renovation & dust inhaling in a circa 1870 house might have something to add....


Blood pressure sliding up again too dammmmmnit.

I ended up coming in at 7 when I got the results a few weeks ago. I handle a lot of lead. Evidently I am doing something right.