Lead in Blood

[Jim B]

Recently, I decided that because of all of the indoor shooting that I do during the winter months (Oct through April) here in Upstate New York that I would have my blood checked for lead levals. What I discovered, while not totally unexpected, was a little disturbing. Normal range of lead is 0.9 to 9.9 ppm. Mine was 13.5. Has anybody else encountered this? Should I be concerned? I don't think it's as bad as the Romans quite yet, but you never know. I wonder how much my lead leval has to do with shooting, and how much is due to old pipes?

Jim B

[TomN]

I also use indoor firing ranges for smallbore competition and have monitored my blood lead concentration for many years. It goes up and down annually - up in winter, down in summer - reflecting the degree of exposure. If I compete frequently, or if the specimen is collected near in time to an extended training session, the lead concentration can be in the range of medical concern. However, since I am an adult male and my exposure is limited and periodic, I have not needed to do anything more than use common sense (don't eat or drink on the range, don't bring range clothing into the living areas of my home, use good personnal hygiene to remove lead dust). For children, however, this is not enough. Kids under 12 should not be allowed into indoor shooting ranges! The potential for permanent neurological damage is too great.

[GOVTMODEL]

Recently, I decided that because of all of the indoor shooting that I do during the winter months (Oct through April) here in Upstate New York that I would have my blood checked for lead levals. What I discovered, while not totally unexpected, was a little disturbing. Normal range of lead is 0.9 to 9.9 ppm. Mine was 13.5. Has anybody else encountered this? Should I be concerned? I don't think it's as bad as the Romans quite yet, but you never know. I wonder how much my lead leval has to do with shooting, and how much is due to old pipes?

Jim B

Probably all of it is from shooting. Is your doctor concerned?

36 is when OSHA gets interested if you have occupational exposure.

Have some family members checked as a comparison.

[Pat McCoy]

I have regularly monitored my lead levels since we built a new indoor range. Base level (for whatever reason) was 23 micrograms per deciliter at the beginning of the first indoor season (Nov). By Feb the level had climbed to 55, where it remained in April (it is my understanding that adults in the lead industry are allowed to return to work if their level is under 60).

That Summer I began taking 1000 mg of vitamin C daily (500 in morning and 500 in evening); did not use the indoor range and the August test was 27.

By the follwing March levels were up to 45, again dropping in the Summer.

February reading for last year was 44, and this year 36. I did not have a Summer check done last year, but will again this year.

I am in the indoor range about 9-12 hours per week during the Winter months (Oct- March).

There are several research items showing the benefits of Vitamin C to remove lead from the system. and we suggest all our shooters (especially kids) get at least 500mg daily.

Of course proper hygene is important (wash up after shooting and before eating or drinking), and we do not allow smoking or eating in the range. Also, be sure your new shooters are not putting pellets in their mouth. We've found several who have gotten into this bad habit while shooting their pellet guns prior to joining our club.

Base levels can vary in the population depending on other thngs you may be involved with (do you cast bullets, are you involved with stained glass or electronics soldering?).

Toxic blood lead levels for children are much lower than for adults (my last chart showing concerning starting at level IIB (15 micrograms/deciliter), with levels of 45 or higher requiring medical intervention.

Best bet is to have yourself tested on a regular basis.

[Spencer C]

I wonder how much my lead leval has to do with shooting, and how much is due to old pipes?

Lead levels CAN come from a number of sources. In my case occupation (tyre/tire and automotive work, wheel weights, leaded petrol...), casting and scrounging scrap lead, shooting PLUS the normal background exposure to lead from the overall environment (old paint, the dreaded leaded petrol, pipes, etc.). I stopped casting (and scrounging scrap lead) for about 10 years, drank lots of milk and now return a 'low' blood lead level.

I have heard that California has one of the world's highest blood lead levels in the world, not all from leaded petrol - also a lot of candles for interior decoration 'atmosphere' (lead is used in the wicks of many candles).

Aside, I have been involved in the design stage of a few indoor ranges - my comments on the intelligence (?) of more than a few architects are well known when they would set up the ventilation of an indoor range to draw air from downrange back over the shooters, officials and spectators!

Safe shooting,

Spencer

[Helen]

A friend here in Ontario had high lead levels. He also ate chips, drank pop etc, while shooting with his pals.He cast & loaded his own.
So, he stopped casting. No change
He stopped loading his own. No change.
He stopped eating & drinking on the range. Significant improvement.
He washed his hands & arms, up to the elbow, very well, after shooting - huge improvement.
Seems the lead clings to the hairs on your arms, or your clothes & you can ingest a lot from there.
Just some more FYI

[Jim B]

I want to thank you all for your response to my question. They have been very insightful. I try to be very careful while I'm on the range: always wash my hands, don't eat, etc.

A strange coinsidence to this thread: after I posted my original message, I watched the news that evening. Turns out that the City of Syracuse & the Onondaga County Water Authority (OCWA) from where I get my water have a problem with high lead levels in the water. Old pipes in the city I guess. Maybe it couldn't hurt to have my water tested too since I will be having daughter within the next few months. We are adopting from China so she should be about a year old when we go to China to pick her up. Hopefully she'll want to learn how to shoot when she is older!

Jim

[thenikjones]

A friend here in Ontario had high lead levels. He also ate chips, drank pop etc, while shooting with his pals.He cast & loaded his own.
So, he stopped casting. No change
He stopped loading his own. No change.
He stopped eating & drinking on the range. Significant improvement.
He washed his hands & arms, up to the elbow, very well, after shooting - huge improvement.
Seems the lead clings to the hairs on your arms, or your clothes & you can ingest a lot from there.
Just some more FYI

Helen,

You're friend is spot on. I work in the UK for a company making ceramics, specifically piezoelectrics that means working with lead oxide. I get a blood check every six months and my level is in the 8-20 range. The most important guidelines are to wash hands, wear gloves (always) and facemask when weighing out - the dust gets everywhere!

When shooting, especially black popwder, wash hands before having a snack. If reloading or casting, a facemask would be a wise investment. The simple filter ones ar enough - we only use personal extraction models when weighing 100s of kgs of PbO at a time. Keep the extraction on too.

Nik

[Helen]

Congratulations, Jim B. on your upcoming parenthood. Hey, even if she doesn't become a competitive shooter, at least she'll be a knowledgeable, responsible, respectful family-member-of-a-gun-owner!

[Sparks]

The "don't eat or drink on the range" rule seems sensible, but it does have a problem built into it - I shoot in an indoor .22 range, so lead particulates do build up (perhaps not to lead foundry levels, but still!) and yet, shooters need to stay hydrated, so I have a cyclist's squeezie bottle for water with me. Now it's normally sealed, so it wouldn't be as bad as an open glass of water, but it's still drinking on the range. So how badly does that water affect lead intake?
Anyone?

[Paedagogus]

...shooters need to stay hydrated, so I have a cyclist's squeezie bottle for water with me. Now it's normally sealed, so it wouldn't be as bad as an open glass of water, but it's still drinking on the range. So how badly does that water affect lead intake?
Anyone?

It doesn't, as long as the source is clean (not a drinking fountain in the range). Just don't put your mouth ON the bottle when you drink. Open your mouth, tip your head back and squirt it in.

You could probably leave your stuff on the range, and take a short walk outside to get your water as well, but I'm not that anal.

At our range, we have a bottled water dispenser and disposable cups. Encourage your range to do the same. It's not that expensive.

[Helen]

This is all great stuff. Thanks Jim B. for bringing it up.
I coach a bunch of juniors in air pistol. The ventilation in our range is not the best, & even though the pellets aren't huge culprits in giving off lead, there is lead in the range. I do emphasize precaution on this subject, but now I'll get them to come to this web-site (as I've encouraged them before) to read what everyone has written.