Lead exposure health risks and mitigation techniques
Many gun aficionados and reloading buffs know the history of metallic cartridges quite well, but for the purposes of this article, let’s briefly review. The common attributes of the first generation of mass-produced metallic cartridges were that they used black powder, were made of relatively thin brass, and rim-fire primed, usually with mercury fulminate. As higher-pressure rifle cartridges and eventually smokeless powder were developed, the cartridge case needed to be stronger, so the center-fire priming system was developed and the base of the cartridge was made much thicker. During the evolution of these cases, the priming was often mercuric with a supplement of corrosive potassium chlorate to make it more effective at igniting the less combustible smokeless powder. In 1898, the US military stopped using any mercuric priming compound because it would chemically invade the brass cases and weaken them to the point of being unsuitable for arsenal reloading in peacetime. The ammunition primed with potassium chlorate was extremely corrosive due the presence of a potassium chloride salt in the bore after firing, which would absorb humidity and rust the bore and other internal parts if not cleaned relatively soon after firing. In the 1920s, US commercial ammunition plants began producing non-corrosive primers, often using lead styphnate, but the military still used the corrosive primers due to established performance in adverse temperature ranges. Shortly after WWII, the US military stopped using corrosive priming altogether.
When the gun is fired, the lead styphnate priming compound releases the lead as a particulate contaminant, and if the bullet is made entirely of lead, or has an exposed lead base, more lead particulate can be released from the heat and pressure of the powder charge. This particulate lead coats the gun, your magazines, the expended cases, your hands, face, and clothes. At indoor ranges, depending on the bullet trap system used and the efficiency of the air handling system, you can be exposed to more lead. When you walk around on a range, you are getting lead on your shoes, and can pick up more in the impact area of an outdoor range. If you shoot at steel targets and move them around, you are exposed to even more lead from the fragmented projectiles.
My personal story of lead exposure
In the early 1990s as a young enlisted Marine, I was assigned to a unit that ran the training courses needed before deploying on Marine Expeditionary Units. The training involved close quarters combat marksmanship, room clearing techniques for small teams, urban reconnaissance and surveillance & sniping, and building-entry breaching techniques, both explosive and mechanical. As a result, we were on the range and in the live-fire shoot houses constantly.
What’s on a range and in a shoot house? Lead. Lots and lots of lead.
We never gave it a second thought until the Industrial Hygienist from the Naval Hospital came to our range and came close to shutting us down when he saw what we were doing, especially what the explosive breaching instructors were doing and how the unit was utilizing my skills as a junior Marine with a pulse, respiration, and opposable thumbs. Back then one of the common ways to make entry into a wood frame structure was to make a human-sized oval hole in the wall with a specialized explosive charge, which was essentially a lead and explosive sandwich, shaped like angle iron, with two layers of lead around a layer of explosives. When detonated, it would transform from a solid to plasma in an instant, cutting the material desired, and creating a huge cloud of white “smoke”. That smoke smelled and tasted sweet, and was actually micro-particulate lead oxide.
The shoot houses had significant lead dust because the projectiles would pass through the target and rubber splash-back curtains, strike the steel armor plate and shatter, then fall to the ground. Added to that was the lead particulate from the priming compound spread throughout the structure. This dust would then get stirred up by the overpressure from any explosive breaches, or the flash-bang diversionary grenades being thrown into the room, where I often found myself as a live hostage role-player. Part of that role-playing involved hiding and being found, and then being searched for any hidden weapons or booby traps, flex-cuffed, and taken out of the building. Being searched meant I was face down, breathing in this lead dust, and having it cover my clothing multiple times a day for the last three weeks of a five-week training package. Brass call in the shoot house was done daily, but it was done with a broom, again stirring up the lead dust in the rooms. The units passing through would spend anywhere from one to five weeks with us, shooting thousands of rounds per person, then off on the deployment they would go. Our unit would usually see three of these training cycles per year and had constant exposure to the lead from supervising and conducting the training and even from handling and moving portable bullet traps.
There was no plumbing on the range – just water trailers and porta-johns. We weren’t trained in the hazards of lead, so washing our hands was neither on our minds nor even feasible most of the time. Anytime we went to the main rifle or pistol range on base for annual qualification, boxed lunches would be delivered, again with no way to wash our hands. When the bladder hydration packs came into widespread use, we would wear them during training without considering exactly what was accumulating on the bite valve. Most of us didn’t think twice about smoking or using smokeless tobacco while in training, so there was another ingestion vector. When we would collect brass after a day of training, we were taught to collect it in our headwear, and then dump them into a central brass collection crate. We would immediately put the headwear back on, and if you spent any time in the military, you know they weren’t washed very often. So, we were getting constant exposure to lead particulate being absorbed though the scalp, especially when hot and sweaty and our pores opened up. Anyone who had children was exposing them by wearing their soiled boots and uniforms home, since anything on the ground eventually finds its way into a crawling or toddling kid’s mouth.
Fortunately, with the hygienist’s intervention and guidance, our unit implemented significant lead mitigation controls like hand washing, industrial laundry service, footwear exclusion, periodic personal air sampling during training, dramatically improved cleanup habits, and blood lead level tests at regular intervals. Despite the improvements, I continue to have elevated blood lead levels, and unfortunately experience some of the symptoms below, even decades after my highest training exposure levels. After learning of the significant risks and acting to mitigate further exposure, at least I have kept my blood lead from worsening. Most recreational and competitive shooters will not accumulate the lead levels I did from my extensive exposure, but everyone should take action to mitigate exposure. Shooters with children in the home, and especially with children involved in the shooting sports, must be especially vigilant to prevent the kinds of adverse or chronic developmental effects that children face from any lead exposure.
Symptoms and health risks
Infants, children, and pregnant women and their unborn children are most susceptible to the negative health impacts of even low-level lead exposure. Any level of lead exposure in children can cause damage to the central and peripheral nervous system as well as the heart and blood vessels, digestive system, kidneys, liver, and endocrine system. Other symptoms include developmental delay, learning difficulties, irritability, loss of appetite and weight, fatigue, abdominal pain or vomiting, constipation, hearing loss, and even seizures. Lead has also been found to cause hair loss or thinning, infertility for men and women, anemia, weakness, high blood pressure, joint pain, memory or concentration difficulties, headaches, and increased frequency of miscarriage, premature delivery, and low birth weight. Since lead accumulates in the bones and teeth, pregnant women with lead in their bones can transfer the stored lead to the fetus the same way they transfer calcium to the growing baby.
Ways to mitigate exposure
After shooting, wash your hands and face with cool soapy water, since hot water can open the pores and increase absorption. There is even special lead-removing soap available, and for remote ranges with no plumbing, specialized wipes you can use before getting in the car and touching the steering wheel. If you shoot a lot, have saline spray in your gun bag so you can blow the residue out of your nose. Absolutely never allow open topped drink containers or exposed food on a range while shooting. Drink containers should have screw on type lids that protect the area your mouth contacts, and the ideal situation is to consume food or beverages off the range after cleaning the hands and face. Backpack style hydration systems with exposed bite valves should never be worn during shooting and are best left away from the firing area and should have the valve protected from contamination. Avoid chewing gum and any tobacco use on the range or before cleaning the hands and face. Remove your shoes before entering your home and wash your range clothes separately from the rest of the family, especially if you have children. Keep your pets out of the down-range and impact areas of outdoor ranges. Not only is it bad for them, but it is also another contamination vector to bring lead into your home. If you compete in action shooting events, wear gloves that are reserved for only that purpose when handling or moving targets, especially reactive steel targets. Wear nitrile gloves when picking up brass and cleaning your guns, and be sure to include eye protection when cleaning, to prevent lead or chemical absorption through the skin or the eyes. If you reload, wash the brass with soap and water before tumbling it, or consider wet tumbling processes, to reduce the lead in dry tumbling media which can become an airborne particulate hazard. Be especially cautious at indoor ranges and avoid establishments with insufficient ventilation, those which show evidence of lack of maintenance or daily cleaning, or do not provide hand washing facilities. If your family or children shoot with you, and haven’t established their own good lead management habits, make sure you provide vigilant supervision to prevent unnecessary exposure.
If you are concerned you may have high lead levels or may be experiencing any of the symptoms above, you are encouraged to seek advice from a medical professional. Getting a blood lead level test is relatively simple, and your doctor can provide advice on the need for treatment. Following the above mitigation techniques will help you enjoy the 2nd Amendment and the shooting sports without adverse health effects.