Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Heavy Metal Poisoning

This is an interesting read concerning the accumulation of heavy metals in the body which goes beyond just lead poisoning:

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2019/04/11/psa-metal-fever-beyond-lead-poisoning/

I heard on the Far there is no such thing as zinc toxicity.

Serious business. They are right about treatment costing a fortune.
I believe the poisoning also causes osteoarthritis.

As an old plumber, we poured thousands of pounds of lead making caulk joints, used miles of lead wire solder, sanded no telling how many pieces of copper pipe. It’s s wonder I’m alive.

My brother in law had/has this. It bankrupted he and my sister. The medical bills were insane. Nothing to laugh at.

Try welding some galvanized and you may find out different. I know a little off topic but all those metal listed in the OP are toxic and we are often exposed.
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Zinc is a light metal so it would be light metal poisoning. But like mercury the metal is not dangerous. Welding galvanized steel is a hazard because the zinc is turned into zinc oxide "smoke" which you can breath in. But it takes a lot of zinc to give you problems and it gets eliminated from the body quickly (day or two). I just go ahead and weld galvanized for the little bit I do on occasion. Would not do it often without precautions.

As to dogs, if your water is anywhere near neutral the zinc isn't getting into the water. Grandma's galbanized wash tub still has its zinc and I wouldn't want to drink what's been in there.

My point in posting this is awareness. I'd also like to understand the watermark in not needing to be tested vs. needing to be tested. I shoot/reload anywhere from 500-2,000/rds per year If I had to guess. Some years more if p-dogging. Does the numerous handling of brass from cleaning and loadeding make me a candidate for testing?

Your family doctor can order the blood work and labs at your request.

They are usually on the 2nd or 3rd page of his option and computer software. As long as your insurance is cool with it.

If he doesnt give you an ear, you can go see a hematologist. If needed there are some therapies they can do such as chelation.

Homeboys around here won't make a frankengrill or smoker box out of a galvanized tank.

Yes you do not want to heat a galvanized tank with a fire. It will cause toxic fumes.

Not unless you lick your fingers a lot.

You are coming to this place to ask this question? You must really be worried about it to put your health in the hands of this round table of dick heads.

Hell any machine shop operating mid century before the EPA has severe ground contamination to a depth of some 30', pipe contamination and that of drinking water has started showing up a lot more on some of the older military base.

Remember GE and the movie Erin Brockovich... as big as that was it was just small potato's as to what we have to look forward to.


Phil

Was told when welding zincked metal to drink milk after wards.

Has worked for me for 54 years so far.
But i do make sure that i have a lot of air moving before hand.

Blood work isn't good enough. The concentration of heavy metals fades fast from the blood. It settles into the bones and tissue. Hair analysis is the best indicator.

I always cringe when I see those chrome-plated chinese metal grill grates at the store. There is no doubt a layer of cadmium between the chrome & steel.

It's so easy to write up a "this stuff might be the problem" article, but it's all conjecture, supposition and some plain silliness. Mercury in primers? Not since when..... 7 decades).

A simple research project with three categories: competitive shotgunners (20K rounds per year guys), frequent indoor range users, and casual shooters would give all the data needed. Divide each group into reloaders and factory shooters. Run a general population baseline. There, all the date you need.

I got tested for lead when I was shooting and reloading about 7K shotgun rounds a year due to neuropathy signs. Nada. Turned out to be B12. So color me skeptical. If the military has problems with these things such as neruropathy, depression, sleeping problems, etc, I'm going to go with the presumption that diet and stress levels might not be optimum in that environment until proven otherwise.

Sanding copper (Steamfitter) is exactly how I lost my liver.
Had transplant in 2006. 2 years in bed 24/7 with diarrhea 8 to 13 times
a day for 5 years wasn't’ like a a walk in the park.

Wish I hadn’t read that!!

had some health issues that MS didn't cover though many did mimic the symptoms. had a DR in Creston BC my wife was going to so asked him about it. he ordered tests, hair and blood. the results was the next time i went he expressed surprise at me being still alive. he had done a study for 20 years about heavy metal poisoning for the province . my test was the worst over all he had ever seen. my lead levels were across the page and around the back. same with Cadmium and uranium.
i started treatments and long story short it changed my life. the Canadian Air force recognized the problem of exposure by their pilots during ww2.
i met a Spitfire pilot during Chelation treatments that was 83. had been having treatments once a month since the war.
scoff all you want to but the problem is real ymmv