breathing lead dust

[dcxplant]

Only my second season of reloading.

I'm getting ready to start cleaning brass to get ready for reloading season (less than 100F in the garage at night).

I've read that the biggest source of lead poisoning is not from touching lead but from breathing it in, largely by breathing in the media dust created by the case cleaning process.

Are the paper face-masks good enough to prevent this, or is a respirator required?

Thanks!

 

[Moonman]

They make GOOD paper type masks. A N100 type mask is used in Lead Abatement.

They're about $7.50 or so each.

Biggest problem is INDOOR RANGES, especially ones with POOR VENTILATION SYSTEMS.

DO NOT SWEEP (clean) an indoor range floor without a mask or respirator.

Wash your hands, wear nitrile or latex gloves.

Change Vibratory Media frequently, it's CHEAP to replace.

 

[Calliope]

Decapping is another area where I try to minimize my exposure. There's a little puff of dust every time you deprime a case, I suspect that dust is bad news. I'm installing a small blower to exhaust air from my basement to remove radon (tested high), I plan on adding a flexible end so I can exhaust the primer dust too.

 

[stu1ritter]

In my Bullseye league, those with elevated lead levels wear full tilt HEPA respirators when shooting and I do the same when cleaning brass. I run my tumbler out of doors, wear throw away rubber gloves and try and practice as much sterile technique as possible. My lead numbers remain very low and I only shoot in a well ventilated indoor range.
Stu

 

[FlyFish]

I've read that the biggest source of lead poisoning is not from touching lead but from breathing it in . . .

This is correct - approximately 100% of inhaled particulate lead enters the body, but the amount of lead that passes through the skin is virtually zero. The larger problem with lead on the hands is inadvertently ingesting the lead through eating without a good washing first. Something like 50% of lead in the gut enters the body.

 

[Rule3]

Tumble outside. Make sure your tumbler has a solid lid, not the lame slotted lid. If it's slotted buy a new lid or at least duct tape the slotted one. Most of the lead is from Primers.

Separate the brass from media outside.

Wash your hands

You don't need a respirator but it would not hurt if it makes you feel better

http://smith-wessonforum.com/reloading/232095-blood-lead-levels.html

 

[dcxplant]

Wow! Thank you folks, excellent advise.

Luckily my indoor range is well ventilated, and I will separate the bras/media outside with a mask. I already wear gloves and wash my hands thoroughly after any reloading or shooting.

I also change clothes right way after shooting. Straight to the washer they go.

Thanks again.

 

[Rule3]

Warning. You will get more lead exposure from the indoor range than anywhere else. Ventilated or not. Loading even lead bullets does not expose you to lead, it is not absorbed through the skin. You have to inhale or ingest it. There are several articles in the link I posted.

Also if you are just starting get a base line blood level (lead) check. It's cheap and and gives you an idea of what your lead level is NOW.

The only way not to is if the range requires you to buy their lead free ammo (primers and projectile)

Wear a Baseball Cap (keeps it out of your hair) and wash not only your hands but forearms.

 

[Bugkiller99]

Warning. You will get more lead exposure from the indoor range than anywhere else. Ventilated or not. Loading even lead bullets does not expose you to lead, it is not absorbed through the skin. You have to inhale or ingest it. There are several articles in the link I posted.

Also if you are just starting get a base line blood level (lead) check. It's cheap and and gives you an idea of what your lead level is NOW.

The only way not to is if the range requires you to buy their lead free ammo (primers and projectile)

Wear a Baseball Cap (keeps it out of your hair) and wash not only your hands but forearms.

+1 on the lead level. Get it now. Work with you doctor on frequency of retests. Remind him you reload each annual physical at a minimum. It's your health. Be proactive.
Oh, don't collect brass in your hat. Yeah, I've seen it.

 

[jepp2]

I agree a blood test is always a great idea to understand your risk. However, if you happen to be like me and don't have much confidence in the medical industry and therefore don't have a family doctor, here is a place you can buy the test for $59. After you get the paperwork, you just go to a local Labcorp testing facility for drawing the blood.

 

[M3Stuart]

My 2 cents: don't tumble in your garage. Don't separate in your garage.

I think a mask would be ok, but I wear a respirator and use the cheap hair-color vinyl gloves. I also wear my respirator at the indoor range much of the time. It looks goofy, but we only get one set of lungs.

 

[Rule3]

Don't tell your Doctor you reload or even have a gun.
New laws are going to require Drs to ask those questions which is none of their business. More data base collection.It's for your health and protection of course. No, I am not paranoid.
Part of the AHCA (OH Bummer Care)

Tell him you scrape paint from old building's, do stained glass, use old solder on electronics, have lead water pipes, have an old well for water or something.

 

[mikld]

Well, I'm one of those guys that say, "don't overthink this "problem", you worry too much". I believe the greatest part of the "lead poisoning" scare is just that; a scare. I have been shooting indoors for 20+ years (once a week, and mebbe 100-200 reloads). I have been a machinist/mechanic all my life (I've done a lot of brake and clutch jobs), and I lived in L.A. for 50+ years (worked the last 25 in Downtown L.A.). I cast my own bullets, and clean my brass indoors. My last blood/lead test came back "normal".

But most important, I use common sense. I don't stand over my tumbler and do my deep breathing exercises. I don't chew on a bullet while I'm casting, I don't sniff my fired cases, and I don't lick my fingers when reloading/cleaning/casting. I have a small fan that blows any dust away from my face, if I were to sit at my bench while the tumbler is running. I also use the fan to blow any smoke away from my face while casting.

Maybe this is just a rant against "Chicken Little" thinking, but in my experience, my health has not been affected by my hobby (plus my location and vocation), and I have not met, nor heard of anyone that has become ill from the shooting hobby either. While I really don't discount safety precautions (I was a Safety Rep at my last work place) I do believe some things can/are over done, and fear is a terrible thing...

If wearing a full haz-mat suit with full respirator when working near your tumbler or when handling fired cases makes you feel better, "safer", then that's what you should do...

 

[tlay]

I have been shooting for 45 years and reloading for only 5. I grind the lead up and chew it like gum. I also chew on the primers. No pproblems, unless you count the loss of hair, no feelings below the waist and well the rash that has developed . Other than that no problems.

 

[tlay]

I have been shooting for 45 years and reloading for only 5. I grind the lead up and chew it like gum. I also chew on the primers. No pproblems, unless you count the loss of hair, no feelings below the waist and well the rash that has developed. Other than that no problems.

 

[jmmitc06]

Just a few thoughts about lead exposure from my pathology class and research on the subject.

Inhalation is the number one means of exposure to lead, followed by ingestion (intentional ingestion in children) so the concern about lead fumes is understandable. Handling contaminated lead products is a minor source of lead exposure, lead can enter through the skin (in very small amounts) but it is of minimal concern compared to the vectors mentioned above.

As for safety precautions during reloading, definitely cast outdoors and don't exceed the boiling point of the alloys if possible. A mask of some sort would be something I want, not really a respirator, even the simplest N100 will prevent the lead fumes. Of course, wash hands after contact to prevent ingestion as well. As for the tumbling, I wouldn't worry too much about that, I doubt that much makes it in the air, but I also wouldn't stand over it and breathe it in either. Good ventilation is a necessity.

As many have pointed out, the either have no noticeable increase in lead blood levels or are asymptomatic. That would be my expectation of the majority of people in our hobby, but we are all different biochemically so it may be more of an issue for some than others. Also "normal" varies on the lab / institution doing the test and normal may not imply safe. Being adults really helps too because lead causes most of its problems during development. Since that is the case, I wouldn't do these activities indoors if I had children. So while lead has some serious effects on the nervous system and such even at low concentrations, I think with some common sense precautions this risk can be minimized.

Also, an an aside, I have filled out patient charts, EHRs, etc. and no where do they care about you having a gun or reloading. If you don't want to disclose why you want the test or whatever, just refuse to answer. Lying makes it difficult to properly diagnose and treat patients and undermines the whole patient-doctor relationship. Expect to be asked why you want the test but that's not because we care about your private life, but we are taught not to order tests without good reasons.

 

[M3Stuart]

Don't tell your Doctor you reload or even have a gun.
New laws are going to require Drs to ask those questions which is none of their business. More data base collection.It's for your health and protection of course. No, I am not paranoid.
Part of the AHCA (OH Bummer Care)

Tell him you scrape paint from old building's, do stained glass, use old solder on electronics, have lead water pipes, have an old well for water or something.

Rule3 wins the BONUS ROUND!!!

Test high for lead in the great state of Texas, tell them its from reloading - so they don't mess with your employer - and you'll get a friendly, non-optional survey, and the following informative pamphlet in the mail! Bonus!

 

[2hawk]

/thread drift/
A blood test showing a high lead level will trigger a mandatory report to state health authorities in most states. More of an occupational safety deal, but like a smart man once said, "Never invite the man into your life unless you have to." (And he's a LEO )

I've reloaded using primarily lead bullets for ~25 years, and I also work in general construction and remodeling. I did test at an elevated level a couple years back, after doing a major renovation on a 90 year old house, which is where I think I got my extra lead.

Time for another test at the end of the year. And I would suggest anyone with any possibility of lead exposure to start getting tested on a yearly or bi-yearly basis, if for no other reason than to confirm you are doing ok.

 

[mtgianni]

A dryer sheet in the tumbler keeps the media clean for a lot longer than not tossing one in. I treat the dirty ones as though they were lead impregnated. It sure cuts down on dust.

 

[M3Stuart]

And this is your lungs on range fumes...

Not to belabor the point...

But after I tested high for lead I started wearing this respirator. The filter on the right is after less than a dozen trips to the indoor range(s). The filter on the left is the extra new one that comes in the package.

All the indoor ranges I shoot at have perfectly good ventilation systems and I'm the only, ahem, person (aka 'goofball') wearing any type of breathing filter.

Judge for yourself.

Edit: I know most of the discoloration is due to smoke and not necessarily lead.