Is there lead exposure from shooting, handling ammunition, etc.?

[CreekDog]

Not only to users but to others in their midst or in the places where these activities or equipment is used, stored, etc.

Curious what people are thinking.

[MineralMan]

1. A little, sure.

metallic lead is all around, though. It's a pretty common material. There's some near you right now, I'm very sure.

[CreekDog]

4. yes, but are the concentrations higher than in the ambient environment?

and would exposure to that lead, rather than the background, lead to more ingestion or inhalation of lead than one would get from a similar concentration that is present in the ambient environment?

[MineralMan]

7. Too many variables, really.

It would depend entirely on the exact situation, what was being done with that ammunition, how close bystanders are, etc. Same with other common lead exposure situations. Lead is almost always around you somewhere, generally in the electronics near you. It's enclosed, and doesn't present much, if any hazard. Similarly, some rounds of ammo sitting around also wouldn't represent any real lead toxicity hazard, unless they were being abraded in some way, releasing particles of the metallic lead.

Bottom line is that lead exposure in almost all settings like the ones you're describing are not likely to present any hazard worth noting.

[CreekDog]

13. i thought you said there were too many variables to know, but then you give the conclusion

come on. that was just embarrassing.

[MineralMan]

15. You didn't describe the situations you were asking about in enough

detail to make any assessment. If it's the typical range and the typical visit to the range, then exposure is minimal. If it's something else, then conditions would be different. You provided no real information on the situation.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Yes

The lead exposure warning is on the side of the box.

It also tells you the ammo could be lethal...god I hope so...this is why it was designed to do.

We find the warning of it might be lethal funny.

[Flashmann]

3. Is there lead exposure from shooting, handling ammunition, etc.?

I'd have to say yes....Based on lead abatement traing I underwent several years ago,as a member of the Painters Union.....*Ingesting* lead,paint chips,whatever gives the most,worst exposure..It's absorbed through touching to lesser degrees.....

*Includes breathing airborne particles of lead*.....

[L0oniX]

5. Most indoor shooting ranges are well ventalated.

Your hand will have black dust on them after shooting a hand gun. I would assume some of it is from lead. Most ammo is FMJ so the lead is contained inside the coating.

[REP]

6. Yes

Here's a fact sheet.

http://www.nj.gov/health/surv/documents/firing_range_fs.pdf

[CreekDog]

21. good link thank you

[Science Geek]

8. The bio-availability of metallic lead is very low...

Sure, you get some very small exposure by handling or eating metallic lead, but not much. Though, once lead starts to oxidize, it forms a white coating of powdery material which has a very high bio-availability and is quite toxic to ingest or inhale.

[FarCenter]

9. Waterfown ingesting lead shot that falls to the bottom of ponds and marshes was a problem

Shotgun shot is now changed to steel in many places.

There is a lot of metallic lead in the environment. A half block away is a lead-sheathed telephone cable on the poles. You can tell which ones they are by the gray color. They also are carried by a heavy steel cable above them.

Metalic led weathers to a lead oxide surface that is air tight and protects the metalic lead from further oxidation. So long as it is not disturbed it is not a problem.

[Hoyt]

10. I think lead -- among other things -- probably contributed to these gun cultists' issues.

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ9FQGo1pwku-rmyPEbJc0jcrU23qfFZclK0_M3AMaIZhUwSQ8X7Q

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRY2nGzku5K9H0cZ9VCBl_C7yxRWp57zcbTjrFnHbBZwjlhujsoJQ

[Separation]

11. Some of us get tested each year for lead.

I do what is called Aerial Marksmen, guess sniper is to scary a word in the CG. We shoot on average 500-1000 rounds a month with precision shooting both on land gun ranges and shooting out of the helo at aerial ranges. Everyone in the program should be on a lead monitoring system and gets tested each year during their flight physical. Been doing it since 2007 plus all the goodness that I got from the Corps prior to coming in. My blood level thankfully is aok.

Now, if you want to talk about some of the gun ranges...those are pretty f'ed. I don't think that land could ever be repurposed for anything else it so contaminated.

[Arctic Dave]

12. Absolutely.

Not just people but to the enviroment also.

Here is just one problem of lead contamination in our city.

http://www.adn.com/2010/04/01/1208705/officials-tackle-problem-of-lead.html


Just imagine all the places around the country Billy Bob and Joe Bob go shootin' on a back road or like the video of the idiot shooting a drum of ammo into a pond.

[FarCenter]

14. Lead added to gasoline peaked at 250 million tons per annum in the early '70s

This stuff was burned as tetraethyl lead in engines, and the dust and fumes in the exhaust deposited on streets and roadways.

Lead in ammo is a minor problem in comparison.

[CreekDog]

19. Lead from cars was a massive problem

Even a smaller problem can still be significant

[Zoeisright]

16. Most of the hunters I know died from some sort of cancer.

I think there's a connection.

[Remmah2]

20. Did any of them smoke?

Or were they poisoned?

Did they work at nuclear power plants.

[Recursion]

17. You should probably wash your hands after handling ammo

And if your job has you dealing with it all day every day, I'd wear gloves.

Not a terribly big factor, though.

[bongbong]

18. It's a good question

On the subject of environmental hazards from handling bullets, something could be done to help the D.F. out.

The bullet makers should find a metal that, when handled, makes you braver & less fear-filled. Then the D.F. would overcome their great need to own a gun to work up enough bravery to walk outside. This would result in fewer guns being sold.