Lead: Should you be concerned

[OnTheFly]

I spent all day Wednesday at Clackamas College in a lead safety class. The purpose of the class was to obtain EPA certification and knowledge on the control of lead contamination from removing or disturbing lead paint. This only applies in homes or day care facilities built prior to 1978. This will not effect me much because electricians do not disturb paint like painters or renovators. New EPA and OSHA laws will go into effect April 22nd and a fine of $37,500 will be charged for each violation. In other words they're very serious about it. So why am I telling you all of this on a fishing forum? Because the guy that taught the class really new his shh..stuff and one of the things he said was if we came into a house to do an estimate and found out that someone was making they're own sinkers or reloading ammo, to turn around and walk out. Unless the ammo or sinker making operation was done in a contained area and extreme measures were taken to prevent the spread of lead dust, that house would be so contaminated it would be next to impossible for a contractor to pass a lead inspection after his work. So if there's a sinker or ammo shop in your house and you have kids under six or you are pregnant, you may want to get your house tested for lead. Did I mention that lead pioisoning can cause memory loss and ahh...effect more....ummm....ahhh....now....what was I talking about?:think:

 

[Anyfishisfine]

I'm sure lead exposure is bad, but:

he said was if we came into a house to do an estimate and found out that someone was making they're own sinkers or reloading ammo, to turn around and walk out.

To me borders on fanaticism. If it were anywhere near as bad as he makes it out to be, given the number of people who reload and fish, handling lead all the time, lead poisoning would be epidemic. If you do foundry work in in a closed room with no ventilation, then yes, you are an idiot, but that's not how people generally do it.

 

[eggs]

I bite splitshot.. am I going to die?

 

[halibuthitman]

the trick to lead paint is you cover it up with that popcorn ceiling crap from the 70's.....or any old pipe insulation from your kids grade school.

 

[OnTheFly]

I bite splitshot.. am I going to die?

No. You'll become sterile.

 

[halibuthitman]

No. You'll become sterile.

oooooooh I beg to differ..... I have bit thousands of pieces of shot, and I can't seem to NOT make babies, man im 37 and just had a girl!!!! lol, so am i some kind of lead proof super sper..... guy?

 

[OnTheFly]

oooooooh I beg to differ..... I have bit thousands of pieces of shot, and I can't seem to NOT make babies, man im 37 and just had a girl!!!! lol, so am i some kind of lead proof super sper..... guy?

The comment was directed to eggs 'cause he was be'in a smarty.

 

[halibuthitman]

The comment was directed to eggs 'cause he was be'in a smarty.

........shucks...... I really wanted at least one redeeming qaulity...

 

[eggs]

nawwwwww but I should start using pliers..

 

[OnTheFly]

........shucks...... I really wanted at least one redeeming qaulity...

What about your ability to judge fine whiskey?

 

[OnTheFly]

nawwwwww but I should start using pliers..

Might not be a bad idea. Lead is not absorded through the skin. It gets into the bloodstream by ingestion either by breathing or eating it.

 

[eggs]

So that one splitshot I swallowed on mistake last summer WAS a bad thing.... it passed in 6 hours..

 

[OnTheFly]

So that one splitshot I swallowed on mistake last summer WAS a bad thing.... it passed in 6 hours..

You're a funny guy eggs and I'm enjoying shooting this around with you in a humorous way. The fact of the matter is lead is a toxin and children six and younger and pregnant women are at greater risk. Children play on the floor and are constantly putting their fingers in their mouths. If lead dust is present they will ingest it. The new EPA rules are targeting homes and COF (child occupied facilities) built prior to 1978. Calcium reacts with lead and will allow higher amounts of it into the bloodstream and what is it that small children and pregnant women need the most? So if you still feel the need to bite or swallow split shot I would suggest you stop drinking milk.

 

[beaverfan]

But lead milkshakes are so good, I can't stop drinking them now! My dad being a retired environmental engineer (water quality) would always warn me of lead. In fact that's the first lecture I remember getting from him. I was about 5 or 6 and I was outside by my dad's boat, it was under a little covered parking area and he kept his tackle box with all his lead under the covered area on the ground. I remember I was playing around with his weights and he busted me, boy was he mad! Lead is something you don't want to mess around with! It's nasty crap, too bad there's not a lot of other options for fishing weights. They have those eco friendly ones but they aren't that great by any means.

 

[eggs]

Yea lead is no joke.. all kinda of birth defects have been linked to it. I will note the milk thing and leave it out of my diet on fishing days!

Thanks for all the info on the subject, I am all but sure I ate lead paint chips as a kid! My wife asks me all the time if I did.. fact of the matter is I most likely did