Revisiting blood-lead levels (BLL)...

[Roger Rapid]

We’ve had a bunch of comments on the topic of Blood-Lead-Levels (BLL) in past posts, and I just wanted to share some interesting results. Four years ago, when I learned that my BLL was 18.5, my doctor urged me to wear a surgical mask when I was shooting but, I had to push back and let him know that surgical masks and cowboy garb just don’t go. But, realizing that breathing lead particulate was dangerous, I did wear a bandana often - especially when running the clock and standing behind numerous shooters. 

 

Over the past two years you may recall that I’ve commented on taking spirulina or chorella; natural herbs that are very good natural chelation (metal removal) agents - as well as them providing some health benefits. I’ve been taking spirulina for the past three or four years - and I know of several friends who followed my recommendation - and all of us have seen dramatic reduction in BLL. Mine dropped from 18.5 to 11 over two years (with the same amount of shooting and bullet handling). And, it has stayed around 11, testing about once every 8 or 9 months.

 

This year was different. With the coronavirus, wearing a surgical mask while wearing cowboy clothes is commonplace for some of us. For the past year, I’ve been wearing a mask at all shoots - sometime keeping it on when actually shooting. I’ve shot about as much and as frequently as I did in 2020, and handled as many bullets, shell cleanings, gun cleanings, and such as I did the prior year. The only difference this year was wearing a mask.

 

My BLL is now 5.2!

 

Hmmm

 

RR

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

Congratulations something good has come out of all of this then lol 

[Marauder SASS #13056]

That sort of thing is what a mask is for - larger, heavier particles.

 

But you also have to watch because mask wearing also has risks.

 

The U.S. Gov just published a Stanford Study that explains the position formerly held by CDC.  Masks do not work for fighting virus such as influenza and corona virus's.

[C.N. Double]

28 minutes ago, Marauder SASS #13056 said:

 

 

But you also have to watch because mask wearing also has risks.

 

The U.S. Gov just published a Stanford Study that explains the position formerly held by CDC.  Masks do not work for fighting virus such as influenza and corona virus's.

Sorry, not true:
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/apr/21/blog-posting/paper-about-mask-wearing-was-not-stanford-and-make/

 

In a nutshell:
"Stanford University has no connection with a Medical Hypotheses journal article, written by an exercise physiologist who isn’t affiliated with Stanford, that makes debunked claims about mask wearing and COVID-19."

 

Edit:
@Roger RapidGlad to hear the masks are helping with BLLs, too. I wore a mask for most of the shoots last year, and my BLLs decreased as well.

[Three Foot Johnson]

I requested a blood lead level at my last VA physical in mid-September, and it came back 31. They called me in for another one about five weeks ago, and it was 13, which is still considered "elevated" by current standards.

 

I worked at a lead smelter for 23 years ('78 - '01), and up to 25 μg/dL wasn't considered worrisome. Some people are much more susceptible to it than others - I would typically spend 4 - 6 months a year on "in-plant medical removal" mowing the lawns, doing laundry, mopping floors, cleaning the shower room, running errands, etc., while some other folks who would never wear a respirator kept their BLL in the low teens, or single digits even. When I started in '78, there were folks working there who were consistently 40 - 60, but no one gave it a second thought.

'

[Blu Nos Dav]

This topic reminds me of a "quote" from a man who was born in the same year as the Colt Single Action Army and the Winchester rifle that won the west.  They obviously don't make 'em like that anymore!  

 

"Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?"

 

Daniel Joseph Daly (November 11, 1873 – April 27, 1937) was a United States Marine and one of only nineteen men (including seven Marines) to have received the Medal of Honor twice.  Daly is said to have yelled, to the men in his company before they charged the Germans during the Battle of Belleau Wood in World War I.

[Waimea]

My BLL was 24 in early November 2019.

We went to France for a 5 week vacation.

Lead level checked after vacation and before going back to work January 2020.

BLL 10.

 

1 year later BLL 14.

Must be doing something right.

 

Waimea

[Marauder SASS #13056]

14 hours ago, C.N. Double said:

Sorry, not true:
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/apr/21/blog-posting/paper-about-mask-wearing-was-not-stanford-and-make/

 

In a nutshell:
"Stanford University has no connection with a Medical Hypotheses journal article, written by an exercise physiologist who isn’t affiliated with Stanford, that makes debunked claims about mask wearing and COVID-19."

 

Edit:
@Roger RapidGlad to hear the masks are helping with BLLs, too. I wore a mask for most of the shoots last year, and my BLLs decreased as well.

There is some error in the story but as normal for fat-checkers they also deceive and generally never discuss the main content or point.

Numerous studies over decades declared that masks do not help stop influenza.  The media and powers to be just want to spread panic.

 

A favorite trick is "attack the man" or attack the source without addressing the content - as they have once again done here.

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7680614/

 

Glad the BLL is down.

[Deadwood Miner, SASS # 45575]

14 hours ago, Waimea said:

My BLL was 24 in early November 2019.

We went to France for a 5 week vacation.

Lead level checked after vacation and before going back to work January 2020.

BLL 10.

 

1 year later BLL 14.

Must be doing something right.

 

Waimea

Must be the French wine that lowered it.

[watab kid]

glad to hear your lead levels are down , ill refrain from any mask comments save to say i think its wise when handling our cases while tumbling and bullets while loading/casting/sizing , 

 

if french wine helps im in , 

[Waimea]

On 4/24/2021 at 12:11 PM, Deadwood Miner, SASS # 45575 said:

Must be the French wine that lowered it.

 

Can't say it wasn't the wine. We sure sampled a bunch.

The vegetables are so fresh there I know I ate twice as much as I usually have here.

Plus the obvious, I was away from the shop for 7 weeks.

[Rye Miles #13621]

Mine was as high as 27 about 10 years ago when I worked only part time in a gun shop/range. We had to sweep up the range afterwards and plus I reload. Since I quit there 10 years ago my levels have gone down to 13 and below. It depends on what time of year I get my blood checked. In September after 6 months of reloading and shooting my LL was 14. Last time was in March and it was 11. My Doc keeps an eye out but nothing to worry about!