Working in an armory during a career in Gunsmithing, the worries of lead were always there, especially with it being a government-run building. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) would stop by annually to conduct their normal checks. This involved lead wipe tests, cleaning out the snail trap for the indoor range, and other health and safety precautions. Though many believe that large administrations like OSHA are just spending our tax dollars and wasting employees’ time, the negative effects of lead residue are definitely real, but they can be mitigated.
Lead Exposure
When we think of lead in the firearms world we often don’t realize the danger that it can bring. Yet when we see/smell an exploded battery or read an article about lead in our pipes we suddenly worry about our health. Why doesn’t the worry transfer? Well, mostly because of its form.
Often times we are exposed to lead by touching ammo and cleaning guns. We go to the range, load magazines, shoot, come home, and clean our firearms. Through all of that, we probably don’t notice all of the expended lead (aka bullets) that we are stepping on or the gas we breathe in while shooting, especially if we’re shooting at an outdoor range. Still, it all adds up.
The Shoothouse
In a shoothouse, the dangers of lead toxicity are much more in your face. From personal experience, after a day of three teams of guys doing runs through a “well-ventilated” shoothouse, you can see the lead in the air, and feel it in your chest as you breathe in. This is the same air that we are breathing in as we shoot outside, or the same residue that is on the bottom of our shoes as we step into our kitchen with the baby crawling around. Exposure happens whether we notice it or not.
The Side Effects
Exposure in Adults
Whether it is prolonged exposure or high amounts only at certain times of the year, lead is stored within the body, mainly in the teeth and bones. To get there, it is distributed through the brain, liver, kidney, and bones again (WHO, 2022). This is why some of the large side effects of exposure in adults are high blood pressure and kidney disease. Anemia can be a side effect of dangerous lead exposure as well.
Exposure in Children
According to the World Health Organization lead attacks the brain and central nervous system in young children at a higher rate due to their body absorbing 4-5 times more lead at any given time compared to adults. This is due to their body wanting to absorb more lead if other nutrients like calcium or iron are lacking. Even prolonged small exposures can lead to behavioral problems or even brain defects.
Exposure in Pregnant Women
Pregnant women are no different. Lead that is trapped inside their bones gets transferred to the fetus. Oftentimes when women become pregnant in the firearm industry they are transferred to a desk job and not allowed anywhere near a firearm due to the risks.
So how do we lower the level of lead exposure?
Get Tested and Reading the Test
Personally, I started receiving lead tests after my gastroenterologist mentioned that it could be causing more harm to my already super-messed-up stomach. It was easy to get the lead test from my normal practitioner. I simply asked for it, stating that I work around firearms. It’s an easy blood test, and often all you have to do is say you shoot regularly when you ask for it.
The doctor will probably request the test as Lead, Blood (Pediatric) this just means that they are putting it against the CDC’s children’s blood lead reference scale. After taking the test you will receive a lead level in ug/dl. This means micrograms per decilitre. It can be kind of confusing, so here is an example.
Your Value: 2 ug/dL
Normal Value: 0 – 4 ug/dL
This is indicative of a whole blood test. Another test that can be requested is the erythrocyte protoporphyrin (EP) test, which can be done with the same blood sample. This test is for those that have prolonged exposure every day, and it tests the biological effect of the blood. It is recommended to get both tests if you are around firearms every day. Ask your doctor what is right for you.
When is it actually Dangerous?
Pregnant women are told to keep their levels under 5 ug/dl—children’s levels, even lower. More frequent testing is recommended for children who live in older homes with lead paint, those who live in proximity to battery factories, and those who are exposed to shoes with firearm residue. Also, if someone in the family has lead poisoning, the children should get tested as well.
For healthy adults, it is recommended to be totally removed from the lead exposure if nearing 50 ug/dl. This will give your body time to start flushing out the lead. Some reports have shown that within six months a lead level can decrease by 10 ug/dl. However, follow-up tests will need to be done to ensure it is not doing permanent damage.
Tips From an OSHA Employee
When OSHA employees come to clean the snail traps they are in full protective coverings including body suit and mask. That shows you how dangerous it can be. Here are some tips to help mitigate lead exposure.
- Cover wooden work benches. Wood is like a sponge to lead and chemicals. The CLP that you spilled? The bench soaked all of that up and a wipe will not remove it.
- Replace sticky mats daily. The sticky mats that are out by the armory door that trap lead from the bottom of your shoes need to be replaced every day, not once a month. Rip them from the side with a glove, not your bare hand.
These are great at the house and the shop. The proper way to use it is to remove a sheet each day with a glove on or paper towel to protect your fingers. - Use wipes. The lead wipes that say “D-Wipes” are actually the same as the large multi-use wipes. Either will work.
- Proper ventilation. If your indoor range is not ventilated properly, fix it. It should be ventilated to the outside as well, not just the next room over. (Yes, it’s a thing).
- Wash your hands. There is D-lead hand soap but that cranberry-looking soap with the minerals in it often in shops is fine.
- WEAR GLOVES. Those small latex ones come in X-Small if needed.
Mitigating Lead Exposure
In Your Car
- Keep wipes in your car.
- Wipe your hands before getting in your car.
- Wipe your steering wheel, door, and cell phone.
- Keep ammo and guns off of the seats, especially where your kids may sit.
At Home
- Wash your hands AND face after shooting.
- Take your shoes off before entering the home.
- Change your clothes before entering the home.
- Use a separate laundry bin for your range clothes and wash them separately.
- Don’t do gun stuff at the kitchen table.
Indoor Ranges
Ensure that the indoor range that you choose to frequent has a proper ventilation system. Oftentimes the tell of this is if you can hear it start and stop very often. That means that it is pushing air out and in a lot. Another indicator is if the temperature inside is close to the temperature outside. This is due to using the outside air to ventilate the range.
If they don’t have a sink outside the range to wash your hands and face, they’re wrong.
