Lead exposure question

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I shoot a lot of indoor pistol, and occasionally talk during pistol matches turns to lead exposure. A recent suggestion from someone was to take calcium and iron supplements before shooting, with the logic being to saturate your blood with good heavy metals, and that way it wouldn't be able to absorb any lead.

Has anyone heard of this before, or have enough medical expertise to know if it would make a difference? It seems like being topped up on calcium and iron isn't a bad thing to do anyway. Thanks.
 
Short answer: don't. If it were possible I bet somebody would have caught on and we'd be doing it as policy.

Long answer: sounds extremely doubtful to me and dangerous to attempt. My major was biochemistry and molecular biology, though I'm admittedly rusty and my textbooks would be out of date now. We do have the known general principal that sometimes a gate allowing things to pass through a membrane can be saturated, so flooding it with one transferrable molecule decreases passage of another proportionally. But exploiting that strategy in this case would require:

1) the same transmembrane gate transporting lead and iron/calcium
2) saturation in the same location of absorption (stomach lining, lungs, etc)

You can't saturate the atmosphere with something to beat lead, so we just keep air flowing downrange ("laminar flow") to minimize lung exposure in the first place. Then wash hands/clothes before eating to avoid stomach lining exposure.

The proposed mechanism of "saturating" your blood with one element to prevent another also sounds doubtful. If it's bound to a dedicated receptor, like carbon monoxide occupies the same spot on the red blood cell's hemoglobin where you really want oxygen (but 200x stronger binding affinity so it won't let go and keeps choking you even after leaving the dangerous environment), you have a potential exploit. I don't know if lead floats freely elemental in blood or bound to something else, but I do know "saturating" your blood with calcium can cause a kidney stone or potentially fatal abnormal heart rhythm, neither of which I want to flirt with.
 
Neither iron nor calcium are heavy metals and there are no 'good' heavy metals either since by definition heavy metals are toxic/poisonous in low concentrations. Too much iron in your blood is bad too.
 
I agree, ventilation, handwashing and cleaning the area with trisodium phosphate solutions to control contamination is important. For post exposure scenarios you would probably be prescribed a chelating agent.
 
A recent suggestion from someone was to take calcium and iron supplements before shooting, with the logic being to saturate your blood with good heavy metals, and that way it wouldn't be able to absorb any lead.

Has anyone heard of this before, or have enough medical expertise to know if it would make a difference? It seems like being topped up on calcium and iron isn't a bad thing to do anyway. Thanks.

There is actually a recent article that looked into a variation of what you have heard:

However (!) - this type of therapy is considered in the early stages of development and still needs more extensive research before being considered a legitimate treatment. I would not recommend experimenting on yourself.

Lead poisoning has been popping up more frequently on the forums lately, so you can search for them if you like.

Primary routes of lead accumulation are mucous membranes, typically mouth and nose. Your best way to reduce your exposure relies on your hygiene.
 
This. Easy peasy. Mine asked me why I wanted the test and I told her I was doing a lot of shooting. Never said another word about it.
It came back just fine.

Same here. I was casting a boatload of bullets, smelting, shooting all lead projectiles, mostly indoors, I figure I was at the highest risk possible, and asked my Doc for a lead test and it came back fine as well.
 
The first thing I'd do is check for passive measures; if you smell burned powder then the ventilation system likely isn't moving enough air. Second, and you're not gong to like this, you could wear a welder's respirator. They are small so they fit under a welding mask, and they are designed to filter metal vapor. Otherwise, just keep getting regular blood tests. Be super careful if you are around kids, as they are much more vulnerable.
-Cm
 
I shoot a lot of indoor pistol, and occasionally talk during pistol matches turns to lead exposure. A recent suggestion from someone was to take calcium and iron supplements before shooting, with the logic being to saturate your blood with good heavy metals, and that way it wouldn't be able to absorb any lead.

Has anyone heard of this before, or have enough medical expertise to know if it would make a difference? It seems like being topped up on calcium and iron isn't a bad thing to do anyway. Thanks.
We shoot outdoors only and make sure that we remove our clothing and shower as soon as we return home. Clothes should be laundered immediately. We use mostly .223 and .308 FMJ, along with 12 gauge. The only exposed-lead ammunition that we have is .22LR for our daughter's rifle. Just clean your body, especially your hands, and wash your clothes after each trip to the range and you will be OK.
 
@herzogbr

this may be the first question on NES that I am qualified to answer
no
it's up there with a jump-to-conclusions-mat

--
lead does not have wings

it's either absorbed through skin or inhaled
wear nitrile gloves when cleaning or handling brass, etc
minimize indoor shooting especially with unjacketed projectiles
wash hands thoroughly
if you're really paranoid then get serum levels checked
as noted above Pb exposure is unlikely to cause illness for adult, it's far more dangerous for those in midst of neurologic development
 
Here's the hard truth that you probably don't want to hear: if you want to keep your lead level safe, don't shoot indoors at all. Friends of mine were testing at > 60 from indoor ranges.

Also, it's easy to overdose on iron. That's why kids gummy vitamins contain no metals.
 
Here's the hard truth that you probably don't want to hear: if you want to keep your lead level safe, don't shoot indoors at all. Friends of mine were testing at > 60 from indoor ranges.

Holy hell!

Which indoor ranges? Did they have HEPA filters on the ventilation? (is it maintained?)
 
The only reason I dont compete indoors is because of lead exposure. I will only shoot outdoors.

While it is good you care about lead exposure, dont let it scare you. A few ranges have good ventilation.

The main thing is to not eat while you shoot, dont pick your nose, rub your eyes ... and when you are done, use lead wipes, wash your hands, lead wipes and was your hands a second time.

I war a big jacket during winter that I take off and throw in a bag when I'm done and I change my shoes at the range.

You should also be careful with dust after tumbling and wearing gloves while you reload.
 
If your range doesn't already have it, bring a bottle of de-lead soap for hands and face immediately after shooting. Use cold water, as to prevent pores opening wider on skin and prevents lead residue from becoming even more soluble. Regular soap is better than nothing though, but still use cold water.
 
This. Easy peasy. Mine asked me why I wanted the test and I told her I was doing a lot of shooting. Never said another word about it.
It came back just fine.
Did this a few years back with my old primary, when he asked why I wanted it I told him shooting and handling a lot of lead. This led to a nice discussion on hunting in Vermont, he was from there originally. Test results were normal.
 
Thanks everyone. I get my lead level checked every time I get a physical - higher than zero, but not dangerous (incidentally, the doctor asks every time why I want it, and I say I'm on a pistol team, and no one seems to care).

I didn't mean to imply I was advocating this either - just a rumor at a gun range, hence why I went looking for verification.
 
Did this a few years back with my old primary, when he asked why I wanted it I told him shooting and handling a lot of lead. This led to a nice discussion on hunting in Vermont, he was from there originally. Test results were normal.
Why do you want a test for lead? ... because it is my body and I want to test for it.

What's up with doctors in this country. We are not talking about having surgery to cut off your d*ck and add fake boobs, just a test for lead.

If you dont want to deal with doctors, appointments and their BS, go to personalabs online. Pay online, I paid $20, go to the nearest lab, they get a blood sample and 2 days later Email you the results. So easy.
 
I used to shoot indoors relatively often during the colder months. I hated the residue and hardly ever shoot indoors anymore. As I understand it, the lead styphnate that gets airborne via the primers is the worst culprit.

I asked my doctor to have my levels checked back then and was asked why. I explained that I shot indoors and thought it would be a good idea to get a baseline. She told me how "that wouldn't be necessary, she has several police officer patients and has never seen an elevated level in any of them."

:rolleyes:🤪😏 Average cop probably fires less in a year than I was shooting at each weekly practice session. Not to mention matches and other outdoor shooting, reloading, brass handling, etc.


My levels were elevated (I forget the exact numbers)
I took precautions and cut WAY down on the indoor activity. My levels went back down.
 
Why do you want a test for lead? ... because it is my body and I want to test for it.

What's up with doctors in this country. We are not talking about having surgery to cut off your d*ck and add fake boobs, just a test for lead.

Counter argument: Lead tests aren't expensive, but they cost more than zero. Lead tests are rarely useful for most of the population. Some people ask for tests because they read some crap on The Internet about something that doesn't apply to them and they get into a panic and want ALL THE TESTS!!!!

A responsible doctor *will* ask why you want an unusual test, because tests have non-zero costs; both economic and health.
 
Why do you want a test for lead? ... because it is my body and I want to test for it.
My former PCP knew that I was a police officer and a firearms instructor, but he told me that to bill the insurance company he had to put down a reason for the test. That's the only reason that he asked. I haven't shot indoors in many years now, so my levels were relatively low but not zero. My current PCP hunts and shoots when he visits his Father in Germany (who is also a doctor), so if I ever again feel the need to test it won't be an issue. I suppose if you want to pay cash for the test, you can and no need to give a reason.
 
Just to add to this ( I am on a personal crusade against lead poisoning after seeing first hand what it does to people, especially children) if you have high(er) blood lead levels the body's favorite thing is to sequester lead in your bones. When you get old and your bone density decreases you can get "idiopathic" lead poisoning as it all leaves the bones back into your blood steam. It never really "goes away ". Also, if you reload, get lead free primers. Someone mentioned it above, but the lead in the primers is actually the worst part of it in C.F. guns.
 
Calcium does work for SOME people. IF you have low calcium levels to begin with, it leaves a void your body is trying to fill. So for you, taking a calcium supplement WILL keep your lead levels lower. But if you already have normal calcium levels, it will not help at all.

Iron...i have not heard about, but high iron levels can cause serious health issues...so i would pass on that one. I seem to recall that magnesium supplements do the same good effect, but would have to research to be sure.

Drink Mountain Dew after the events. It has a chelating chemical in it (the same one they give you in the hospital if you have high lead levels), and you will piss out much of the lead before it binds with your body. I always buy a case of diet mountain dew when i am doing a multi-day project, just in case i made a mistake in my containment system


The mainstay of treatment is chelation therapy. Chelation agents contain sulfhydryl groups that bind or chelate lead, and the resulting complex is excreted either renally or hepatically. The chelation agents succimer and penicillamine are given orally, whereas dimercaprol and edetate (EDTA) calcium disodium (CaNa2 EDTA) are administered parenterally.

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Also use some common sense. I am not sure you need to do all of these things, but to be safe maybe you do? Assuming there is some lead dust on your hands, face, hair, clothing after a long indoor shoot.....you could:
1) wear a baseball hat, and remove it when you leave the firing line...that keeps lead dust out of your hair where it will stick for days
2) remove the shirt you were wearing. Was it long sleeved to keep the dust off your forearms? And change into a new shirt before eating or drinking anything.
3) wash your hands, wrists with an abrasive type of soap immediately after shooting. Same with the face, but a non abrasive soap.
4) when you get home, wash all your shooting clothes in a separate load in the laundry. Transport any clothes you can easily remove in a separate bag before getting into your car (you do not want to contaminate your car!).
5) take a long shower at home/hotel room. Especially wash your hair and face well. I would shower well before going out to eat anything.
6) The bottoms of your shoes might have lead dust after a big shoot, you should clean them off before walking all around your home.


And when cleaning your guns...that gray colored stuff on the patches is LEAD dust. Are you wearing protective gloves when cleaning them? $6.99 buys you a box of 50 nitrile gloves at harbor freight. Cleaning them when wet (hoppes 9 solvent for instance) is a great idea, it keeps the lead dust from floating around! I would avoid using products like compressed air gun duster, which could float lead dust particles throughout your home. I do not own things like a boresnake, since i can not avoid looking at it as if it was a toxic waste site after using it on my barrel! I like the throw away cotton cleaning patches...away goes the lead dust for good.

Basically, you are trying to avoid lead dust on your hands going into your mouth, or lead dust stuck in your hair or clothes raining down and going into your mouth.
 

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i Use these guys for blood lead testing:


I get my blood lead sample taken at Quest Diagnostics (LAB QD) in Andover MA, who are partnered with requestatest. Quest has offices all over MA.
 
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