Lead Exposure from Firearms is Beyond Dangerous

Many shooters, even those that have been shooting for years aren’t aware of the risk. At the very least, you should educate yourself about lead exposure, the issues which can be associated with lead toxicity and the steps you can take to reduce your exposure.

You have likely heard the old cliché that getting shot will result in lead poisoning, but you actually come into contact with lead each and every time you go to the range, whether indoor or outdoor. How you ask? There are lead compounds used inside the primer of ammunition, when the primer is struck by the firing pin, a cloud of aerosol lead spews into the air, within a foot or so of your face. The lead will land on your hands, your face and your clothing, and you will breath in some as well.

The actual bullets themselves are normally made of lead also and as they travel inside the barrel, tiny fragments can chip away and mix in with the discharge of gun powder. Below is an excellent video produced by “The Oregonian” showing in vivid detail how lead leaves a gun and how you are exposed when using a handgun.

Obviously, handguns will have a short radius of discharge by virtue of their size, but rifles also will expel vapor around your face, especially semi-automatic weapons like a Mini 14, shotguns and bolt action rifles as well. Any weapon which uses a primer activated round has the potential to expel aerosolized lead in the vicinity of your face, hands, arms and torso, putting you at risk for exposure.

There are several ways for you to ingest lead. You can ingest lead by inhaling it and lead that is on your hands or face can be ingested through the mouth. This is the principle reason that most ranges have a “No Food or Drink on the Range” policy. But, you should not eat or drink, even after a range visit, until you have changed your clothes and washed your hands and face.

A trip to the range with a friend can expose each of you to lead particles with each round fired, even if you’re not shooting. You can also be exposed to lead while you are cleaning your firearm, which is why many educators recommend wearing gloves while you are cleaning. Another time that exposure is possible is if you collect your spent brass on the range. That little piece of brass has been “Ground Zero” for the lead exposure with the leaded primer on end and the leaded bullet on the other.

Can shooters prevent lead exposure? 

Sources: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; California Department of Health; New York Department of Health

The short answer is no. The long answer is “sort of” with a lot of discipline. Preventing exposure is nearly impossible unless you wear a hazmat suit, however you can limit your exposure by wearing protective items such as mask and gloves, changing your clothes before getting into your vehicle (not changing your clothes will transfer lead into your vehicle extending the risk of further exposure), washing your entire body after shooting and not eating or drinking until after washing. Most people are willing to wear gloves and maybe a mask, but not changing clothes or not eating/drinking until after washing.

The short answer is no. The long answer is “sort of” with a lot of discipline. Preventing exposure is nearly impossible unless you wear a hazmat suit, however you can limit your exposure by wearing protective items such as mask and gloves, changing your clothes before getting into your vehicle (not changing your clothes will transfer lead into your vehicle extending the risk of further exposure), washing your entire body after shooting and not eating or drinking until after washing. Most people are willing to wear gloves and maybe a mask, but not changing clothes or not eating/drinking until after washing.

Even if you are diligent and disciplined with your behavior during and after shooting, the only guarantee is reducing exposure, not prevention. Since prevention is next to impossible, we must assume a certain amount of lead exposure every time we shoot, whether it be 10 rounds or 1000 rounds. Obviously the more rounds fired the more lead you are exposed to.

Keep in mind, this piece is discussing lead exposure in relation to shooting only, we are constantly bombarded with exposure to lead outside of the shooting world too, but because lead is a primary component of the firearms industry, shooters are exposed to an even greater amount.

Why is lead exposure such a big deal? 

Lead exposure can cause many issues in humans, including death. In fact, one of the most respected medical journals in the world released a study in March 2018 claiming 400,000 Americans die each year as a result of lead exposure. That number includes 256,000 annual deaths from cardiovascular disease, suggesting that lead exposure may be a significant, overlooked risk factor for this leading cause of death. The estimate was extrapolated from a nationally representative sample of 14,289 adults, whose blood had been tested for lead sometime between 1988 and 1994.

It does not matter if a person breathes-in, swallows, or absorbs lead particles, the health effects are the same; however, the body absorbs higher levels of lead when it is breathed-in. Within our bodies, lead is absorbed and stored in our bones, blood, and tissues. It does not stay there permanently, rather it is stored there as a source of continual internal exposure.

MARK NOWLIN / THE SEATTLE TIMES Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Institutes of Health

Lead poisoning can happen if a person is exposed to very high levels of lead over a short period of time.

When this happens, a person may feel:

  • Abdominal pain
  • Constipated
  • Tired
  • Headache
  • Irritable
  • Loss of appetite
  • Memory loss
  • Pain or tingling in the hands and/or feet
  • Weak

Because these symptoms may occur slowly or may be caused by other things, lead poisoning can be easily overlooked. Exposure to high levels of lead may cause anemia, weakness, and kidney and brain damage. Very high lead exposure can cause death.

Lead can cross the placental barrier, which means pregnant women who are exposed to lead also expose their unborn child. Lead can damage a developing baby’s nervous system. Even low-level lead exposures in developing babies have been found to affect behavior and intelligence. Lead exposure can cause miscarriage, stillbirths, and infertility (in both men and women).

Generally, lead affects children more than it does adults. Children tend to show signs of severe lead toxicity at lower levels than adults. Lead poisoning has occurred in children whose parent(s) accidentally brought home lead dust on their clothing. Neurological effects and mental retardation have also occurred in children whose parent(s) may have job-related lead exposure.

There is no known safe blood lead concentration. But it is known that, as lead exposure increases, the range and severity of symptoms and effects also increases. Even blood lead concentrations as low as 5 µg/dL, once thought to be a “safe level”, may be associated with decreased intelligence in children, behavioral difficulties, and learning problems.

What can I do about it? 

Since exposure to lead is a daily occurrence and avoiding it is nearly impossible. Once must logically conclude we accumulate small amounts of lead every day in our bodies. We can apply behaviors in our daily routine which can help reduce lead exposure but what do we do about the lead already accumulated IN our bodies? This is where chelation comes in to play. The body has no mechanism to rid itself of lead or other heavy metals, EDTA goes into the body and acts like a clam shell, it attaches itself to a lead molecule and closes, basically encapsulating the lead inside itself. Simply put, chelation fakes the body out by tricking it to get rid of the EDTA molecule not knowing the lead has been attached. Chelation with EDTA is safe and effective at reducing lead levels in our bodies.

Get your lead out today!