Fear of Lead

[woodchips]

I hope you don't go shotgun shooting!

Each cartridge has 1oz of lead in it, and being expelled at a high rate of knots when fired some must be turned into dust. Yet the EU are quite happy to let tonnes of lead be blasted over the countryside but my 200g in the 60/40 solder, which lasts me for years, is banned. No, I don't understand it either.

[tautech]

I hope you don't go shotgun shooting!

Each cartridge has 1oz of lead in it, and being expelled at a high rate of knots when fired some must be turned into dust. Yet the EU are quite happy to let tonnes of lead be blasted over the countryside but my 200g in the 60/40 solder, which lasts me for years, is banned. No, I don't understand it either.

Here and in many other places on the world lead is now banned for gamebird shooting close to water to minimise lead shot in shallow waters where ducks etc feed. Trouble is most other substitutes are ballistically inferior and more wounding results but on the other hand wounded birds don't have lead pellets in them that initiate lead poisoning. Damned if you do and damned of you don't situation.
AFAIK some parts of Europe have now banned the use of lead cored projectiles for game hunting and the industry is now having to learn how to use solid copper projectiles to satisfy these new regs.
Like any industry it's constantly evolving.

[woodchips]

And how does anyone know that tin shot is being used?

Easy solution, use gold shot!

There is tungsten of course.

[hermit]

And how does anyone know that tin shot is being used?

Easy solution, use gold shot!

There is tungsten of course.

https://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/gun-nuts/2013/10/non-toxic-shot-bismuth-back

[trys]

Since then I have not be able to go back out of fear, has anyone had a similar experience or way to get over it?

It's good that you recognize it as being an irrational fear, and you want to get over it and reaching out for help in how to get over it.

With many phobias these are the key steps to get over them. It's taken you some courage for you to make your post and reaching out about it - so you must be applauded.

There are support groups to help people overcome anxieties, it may be helpful to see if there are any near where you are. You can then be in an environment of support and amongst people who understand the anxieties that you feel even though the causes of the fears (or rather the triggers for these fears) are different. In your differences you will find similarities in coping mechanisms that you can explore.

It could also be useful to make a note of some the responses above about lead in solder to take with you, it might give you some ideas that will help rationalize how you can be safe in such situations.

Your doctor also may agree to additional checks for your lead level in blood if you do feel that you have a sustained occupational risk.

All the best - don't despair.

Trys

[stj]

just get cotton gloves or use lead-free.

as for mercury, it's only toxic if you touch, consume or breath it.
it's perfectly safe to inject into your body in large amounts.
is that sarcasm? no it's the official line from satanic pharmacutical pushers!!!
 

[cdev]

N-acetylcysteine is a precursor of glutathione and may be helpful in helping the body shed lead and numerous other bad things.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=acetylcysteine+plumbism

Hi Everyone

I have a irrational fear of lead, more importantly lead soldering. It started after I worked in an electronic lab that the soldering was not well controlled and my lead blood level came back high. I since left that job and my levels returned to normal. Since then I have not been able to work on any electronics or wanted to do any soldering. Recently I started going to a pinball bar and have been having a good time playing the games. As a hobby I also shoot commericals for local businesses and decided to do one for the bar. When I went to go film it they were working on a boards and I just said sorry I have a fear of lead and could no longer do the video. Since then I have not be able to go back out of fear, has anyone had a similar experience or way to get over it?

[james_s]

just get cotton gloves or use lead-free.

as for mercury, it's only toxic if you touch, consume or breath it.
it's perfectly safe to inject into your body in large amounts.
is that sarcasm? no it's the official line from satanic pharmacutical pushers!!!
 

What are you even going on about? Nobody is injecting large amounts of mercury into anyone's bodies.

By far the largest exposure to mercury for most people comes from eating seafood.

[stj]

i think you should read some vaxxine ingredient lists!!! 

[Electro Detective]

Rubber and or cotton gloves,

'magic hands' clamp thingies (or whatever they are called) and anything that clamps, clips and holds stuff down to be soddered/soldered (extra hand/s)

magnifying visor headset or protective clear plastic glasses

a simple fan arrangement to pull the fumes away from your face and lungs

should soon sort out any lead phobia, and get a lot of work done safely 

All the above is CHEAP    fits in a plastic shopping bag, and ready for work anywhere   

[Monkeh]

I hope you don't go shotgun shooting!

Each cartridge has 1oz of lead in it, and being expelled at a high rate of knots when fired some must be turned into dust.

Birdshot is mostly steel these days..

my 200g in the 60/40 solder, which lasts me for years, is banned.

It is? Shit! Better tell everyone selling and using it.

Hint: It's not banned.

[Electro Detective]

It's not banned? 

and here I was thinking "the last of the 60/40 sodder/solder pirates sailing the high pcbeez..."     

I would suggest stocking up on some for future use, you never know what 'law' the govtardment will pull out
of their ass to line their pockets... with 'under the table sneaky deal' commissions

[james_s]

i think you should read some vaxxine ingredient lists!!! 

 

Most vaccines contain no mercury at all, and those that do contain negligible amounts. You'd get more mercury by eating a can of tuna fish than by getting a vaccine, not that it matters what the actual data is. The whole anti-vax thing is a moronic religious belief not based on any sort of scientific fact or data in the first place.

Yes, tuna contains mercury. Apples contain cyanide amongst other scary sounding chemicals, like the mercury in certain vaccines the amount of cyanide in an apple is negligible.

Now if you'd like to refute any of this, please provide hard data from a reputable peer reviewed source, blogs don't count.

[stj]

most do contain it and the ammount is not negligable - it's way over the defined amount that classes something as hazmat waste that cant be generally desposed of!!!

[james_s]

most do contain it and the ammount is not negligable - it's way over the defined amount that classes something as hazmat waste that cant be generally desposed of!!!

Data and sources please?

IMHO you're talking out your ass. You've made wild claims with absolutely nothing to back it up.

[hermit]

The whole anti-vax thing is a moronic religious belief not based on any sort of scientific fact or data in the first place.

Well, there are other self serving reasons.  Robert Di Niro wants to blame the vaccine and ignore that as men age the risk of having an autistic child increases.  Genetics is also suspected.  You can see that parents might cling to something to relieve them of the 'blame' for the child being autistic.  The older you get, both mother and father, the risk goes up to the baby.

[jpanhalt]

Here is a discussion of Merthiolate  (thiomersal) in vaccines by the US FDA : https://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/SafetyAvailability/VaccineSafety/UCM096228  The following comments are based on that report and other generally available information, such as "normal" blood levels.

Most vaccines and especially childhood vaccines do not contain an thiomersal.

Those that do are for multiple dosing from a single vial, which keeps costs down without compromising safety.   Moreover, the organic mercury in thiomersal is converted to ethyl mercury, which is excreted rapidly unchanged.   Methyl mercury (as in fish) is much more toxic. 

A single does of a vaccine containing thiomersal will have about 12 ug of mercury equivalent.   If that is distributed in the usual adult blood volume of 5 L, the concentration the maximum concentration would be 2.4 ng/ml disregarding concurrent elimination.   Normal safe level for adults is considered to be  ?10 ng/ml.  Reports claim that dentists exposed to amalgam can have levels of mercury of 15 ng/ml without symptoms of toxicity.   

[Zero999]

Here is a discussion of Merthiolate  (thiomersal) in vaccines by the US FDA : https://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/SafetyAvailability/VaccineSafety/UCM096228  The following comments are based on that report and other generally available information, such as "normal" blood levels.

Most vaccines and especially childhood vaccines do not contain an thiomersal.

Those that do are for multiple dosing from a single vial, which keeps costs down without compromising safety.   Moreover, the organic mercury in thiomersal is converted to ethyl mercury, which is excreted rapidly unchanged.   Methyl mercury (as in fish) is much more toxic. 

A single does of a vaccine containing thiomersal will have about 12 ug of mercury equivalent.   If that is distributed in the usual adult blood volume of 5 L, the concentration the maximum concentration would be 2.4 ng/ml disregarding concurrent elimination.   Normal safe level for adults is considered to be  ?10 ng/ml.  Reports claim that dentists exposed to amalgam can have levels of mercury of 15 ng/ml without symptoms of toxicity.

I suppose, having a vaccine is also a single exposure event. It isn't the same as being continuously exposed to mercury.

[Gyro]

I've just been reading the story of Tetraethyl Lead in petrol on the BBC news site (don't know why it popped up again today)...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40593353

It certainly puts contact with a bit of solid metalic lead and then washing your hands into true perspective... Hard to believe that it was such a transparently crooked deal from the start! GM funding the government safety research, with a clause allowing them to approve the result. Ensuring that it was patentable (vs ethyl alcohol) etc.

Interesting bits about 'the loony gas building' and 'the house of butterflies' Petrochemical Lead labs and the correlation between its banning and the fall in violent crime.

I can't believe now that I spent so much of my earlier life breathing the stuff in! 


P.S. Midgley's other contribution to modern civilization was, of course, the introduction of CFCs for refrigration. A true hero of our times! 

[TheOCDengineer]

Thanks for all the replies. Some of the comments were good, while others devolved into conspiracy and "Machoness". I guess my problem lead is that my levels where high and then by removing the soldering it went back to "normal". I have been doing some research and the mean level for adults is 1.2 ug/dL, anything above 2 ug/dL has some measurable cognitive effects. Pre-industrial humans lead blood level is estimated at 0.016 ug/dL. I know from my Nano-technology background that fast melted metal tends to sputter some into small droplets and thus I always assumed that there is a small coating of dust on the boards and area where solder work was performed. In the end I guess I am always chasing the smaller number as we don't really know what normal is. 

[tooki]

Most exposure to lead comes from breathing the dust from cars that used TE lead in the fuel

Actually, I’ve always heard that the primary source of lead in chronic lead poisoning is lead paint in old buildings, not leaded fuel emissions.

I know from my Nano-technology background that fast melted metal tends to sputter some into small droplets and thus I always assumed that there is a small coating of dust on the boards and area where solder work was performed.

Washing your hands after working on it (for sure, before eating), and avoiding contaminating your food is all you need to consider. And don’t lick the circuit boards.

In the end I guess I am always chasing the smaller number as we don't really know what normal is. 

But you must be reasonable in it. Don’t let it remain an obsession. I strongly agree with the suggestions to see a therapist. Try to find someone who employs CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy).

[jpanhalt]

Thanks for all the replies. Some of the comments were good, while others devolved into conspiracy and "Machoness". I guess my problem lead is that my levels where high and then by removing the soldering it went back to "normal". I have been doing some research and the mean level for adults is 1.2 ug/dL, anything above 2 ug/dL has some measurable cognitive effects. Pre-industrial humans lead blood level is estimated at 0.016 ug/dL. I know from my Nano-technology background that fast melted metal tends to sputter some into small droplets and thus I always assumed that there is a small coating of dust on the boards and area where solder work was performed. In the end I guess I am always chasing the smaller number as we don't really know what normal is.

Please cite your sources.   Here is the current CDC recommendation:

https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/acclpp/blood_lead_levels.htm

What has not changed is the recommendation for when medical treatment is advised for children with high blood lead levels. The new recommendation does not change the guidance that chelation therapy be considered when a child has a blood lead test result greater than or equal to 45 micrograms per deciliter.

NOTE: That is for children.   Levels causing any "cognitive" effects for adults would be much higher.  Of course, the subject's mental status and hysteria may make detecting true effects less reliable.

As for your personal experience, blood lead measurements are one of the more challenging laboratory tests, not in the lab per se, but in collection of the specimen.   Special "lead free" collection tubes must be used (What was the color of the rubber stopper in the tube used to collect your blood?), and careful decontamination of the subject's skin must be performed.  Unless both are done properly, erroneous results will be obtained.  Lead is everywhere in the environment.   The apparently rapid resolution of your "high" blood lead makes me wonder whether the original results were spurious.

[Gyro]

Most exposure to lead comes from breathing the dust from cars that used TE lead in the fuel

Actually, I’ve always heard that the primary source of lead in chronic lead poisoning is lead paint in old buildings, not leaded fuel emissions.

Only if you're in the habit of chewing old paintwork - or stripping it.

[tooki]

Most exposure to lead comes from breathing the dust from cars that used TE lead in the fuel

Actually, I’ve always heard that the primary source of lead in chronic lead poisoning is lead paint in old buildings, not leaded fuel emissions.

Only if you're in the habit of chewing old paintwork - or stripping it.

This is no laughing matter, and you’re wrong.

Remember who the primary victims of chronic lead poisoning are: children.

What happens is that kids who live in old houses, with chipping paint, play on the floor, paint dust gets on their hands, and they put their hands in their mouths. And of course small kids put everything they find in their mouths, including paint chips. And dust gets inhaled. And in case you wonder “well why don’t their parents fix the chipping paint?”, well, it should come as no surprise that lead poisoning afflicts almost exclusively the poor, who tend to live in older houses that they cannot afford to remediate (or whose slumlord landlords neglect).

Regardless, the statement wasn’t one of who gets lead poisoning, but rather which avenues of exposure are the most common cumulatively. And that is lead paint, not lead fuel residues.

[Paul Price]

Midgley had his karma problems.

Later, in his middle age he contracted polio and was partially paralyzed. Inventor of lead-tetraethyl and CFC refrigerents, he also invented a system of pulleys to lift his diseased body out of his bed. He was accidentally strangled by this device.