health risks handling lead

urchinz
on 23 Mar 09 (15:29)

I am wondering if anyone has any info on the potential health risks of handling lead type. My 12 year old has taken a fancy to printing and I have been collecting type and cuts for her to use.I would like to read about safety precautions for handling lead.

winking cat press
on 23 Mar 09 (15:42)

Urchinz….. this topic has been discussed at length here on Briar Press. Rather than re-write what we’ve already discussed, I’d like to ask to go back to the earlier discussions.

BillWhitley
on 23 Mar 09 (17:32)

The short answer - keep it out of her mouth, especially if it has a white “bloom” - which is lead oxide. Otherwise, it’s pretty safe stuff to handle under normal conditions.

Paul Moxon
on 24 Mar 09 (06:58)

Wash hands before eating.

BillWhitley
on 24 Mar 09 (13:18)

Paul, that’s just all-around good advice…

DBurnette
on 24 Mar 09 (17:32)

Wash hands. Don’t eat it. Know that printer’s alloy is not ‘lead’ and is virtually harmless unless ingested. It CANNOT be equated with the lead oxides used in old leaded paints.

The old discussions, including printer’s test results are here:

http://www.briarpress.org/14115

http://www.briarpress.org/15621

The highest lead test I know of is someone (who shall remain nameless) with over 25ppm on one test. He had been known to eat over a monotype caster without washing his hands, and has been casting daily for something like 40 years. Most casters (who deal with oxides and molten alloy) don’t even have a lead blood content that registers in the tests.

Hope that helps.