jcwit
member
I think you pretty well got it ReloaderFred.
I love watching these kinds of guys show how it is done. I also envy his work area.FYI, here's Jerry Miculek melting lead and casting bullets.
[YOUTUBE]PSgQ82Kqhzo[/YOUTUBE]
My opinion is that some people's bodies pick up things, while other's don't, kind of like sitting in a doctor's waiting room with all the sick people. Some sitting there will catch what the others have, while others won't. Maybe it's magic, but it happens. I can't explain why, and I can't explain why some people may take all kinds of precautions and still get high lead levels, while I take minimal (what I consider common sense) measures and don't get high lead levels. (I can't explain magic, either.......)
... this report document serious lead exposure from indoor firing ranges ... BLLs (blood lead levels) should be kept below 10 µg/dL for all adults, and below 5 µg/dL for children and pregnant women.
The findings in this report also suggest that firing range customers and family members of firing range employees, in addition to employees themselves, can be exposed to hazardous amounts of lead.
... The number of persons with elevated BLLs from firearms use during 2011–2012 highlights the need to increase prevention activities. Airborne and surface lead levels in firing ranges can be greatly reduced by using lead-free bullets, improving ventilation systems, using wet mopping or HEPA vacuuming instead of dry sweeping, and having a written protocol for range maintenance.
I have probably mentioned this before on this thread but I have started wearing a mask OUTDOORS as well. I was corresponding with a doctor back east who did some extensive testing of his own at outdoor ranges and ended up with surprising results.If your body is sensitive to lead and shoot at indoor ranges, you should seriously consider using a respirator with proper filters. 3M respirator with 2091 filters is now a permanent part of my range bag for shooting indoors. For me, it's a cheap $15 insurance against lead exposure - http://www.amazon.com/3M-Series-Facepiece-Respirator-Medium/dp/B000FTEDMM
BTW, here's the latest 4/24/14 CDC report on indoor ranges and elevated blood lead levels - http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6316a3.htm?s_cid=mm6316a3_w