Poisonous Metals

[Thorne]

I might be wrong, but you aren't supposed to swallow the fluoride that you brush with. That's why they make different toothpastes for toddlers so that they can swallow it. (Works in a grocery store isle)

No, you don't need to swallow, probably shouldn't. The fluoride in toothpaste will attach itself to the enamel of your teeth, strengthening the enamel, eventually. Children's toothpaste is generally a milder abrasive and more tasty for the kids, to encourage them to brush more often.

And just so people know, virtually anything is toxic if taken in large enough doses. Even drinking too much water can kill you. Moderation is the key.

[teh-ah-tim-eh]

To make it taste better for the kids...pfft...i hated the stuff

Swollowiong tooth paste is fine...but think of all the plauqe muck and bits of food your slallowing...yum

[bound_jenny]

There are things that are toxic in this world, some more than others. Lead is toxic. People used to die from lead poisoning (way back when) by eating food out of tins made with lead in them - which is why tins no longer use lead. The Mythbusters wore gloves to handle the lead foil when they made (and flew) their lead balloon.

Then there are all those things that we handle, ingest and rub onto ourselves in everyday life. All those things are quite safe when those three little words (which are so hard to follow) are heeded:

Use as directed

There is a whole army of scientists, lab technicians and (especially) lawyers who have gone over all those things and have pronounced them safe if they are used as directed. That's why they put those three little words on the packaging. Misuse is risky. How risky depends on the product.

Also, the lawyers make sure that there is a sufficient margin just in case someone thinks they know better. Lawsuits are expensive.

Alcohol is a poison. Drink an alcoholic beverage in moderation, you'll enjoy it. Drink too much, and you'll be too drunk to notice you're not enjoying yourself until the alcohol anesthesia wears off the next morning. Drink way too much and you'll get alcohol poisoning, which will definitely not be enjoyable at all, assuming you're still alive to testify to that effect.

Remember those three little words. And that the people who put them on the labels know what they're talking about and have data to back them up.

Jenny.

[teh-ah-tim-eh]

Oh, just remembered florine isn't a metal.

[gungadin]

Also it's been illegal to make fishing weights out of lead for several years now. As for ammunition lead isn't selected for it's toxic effects, purely it's mass and ease of moulding. BTW as an electronics engineer I've been handling lead for many years (solder) and a while ago had my lead levels tested and they were fine however it's probably not the best material to make stuff out of. Lead is not absorbed readily by the skin it has to be injested to cause harm.

Oh contraire! You can go into any Dick's Sporting Goods, or Gander Mountain and buy hundreds of pounds of lead sinkers for your fishing tackle. Small < 1 oz. to a few pounds for the really big fish. I get them there all the time.

Gunga Din

[cdinbonds]

Yes, lead is readily available in the US, but not necessarily in other parts of the world. I remember seeing something years ago about lead shot being banned for use as ammo for waterfowl in the UK, because it was falling to the bottom and being ingested by swans and other water birds that use gravel in their gizzards to aid in digestion. The birds were dying of lead poisoning. Not surprised it may have been banned as fishing sinkers too.

[the_toymaker991]

As an avid shotgun sports participant, I can say that right now, lead costs are extremely high. Also, bullets and shot are not made out of lead because lead is toxic, its because lead is heavy and cheap(relativly).

[bound_jenny]

There is a good point to remember - if we want to shoot something to kill it, expecting that by lead poisoning would require a lot of patience. I suspect that the holes caused by the projectiles would be more expeditious.

Lead shot that doesn't hit its mark doesn't disappear; it ends up in the environment, and can contaminate the water table, get ingested by wildlife, etc. The long term effects are more widespread and are not limited to the holes drilled in the target.

Lead is being banned in more and more countries. Some are less in a hurry than others. If it's not banned yet in your neck of the woods, it probably won't be long before it is.

Jenny.

[teh-ah-tim-eh]

lead shot below a certain size is illegal in england...i think it's up to SSG that it can't be lead.


But sea fishing weights cn be lead.

[RADER]

If led is what you want; go to any plumbing supply store and ask for a
5 # ignot of lead. Plumers still use it on cast iron pipe joints. That should hold you down.

[Hanol]

Wander why it didn't occur to anyone to Google for "Lead Poisoning". Quite interesting subject. I wouldn't make a butt plug or a gag out of lead, but otherwise it seems like it's quite safe to handle. BTW some of our water system pipes still made out of alloys containing lead and solder to join them is made out lead alloys too.

[Hanol]

Just one story comes to mind. There was a woman who got shot in her knee. Bullet stuck in the joint, but it didn't cause major damage and didn't impair the function of her knee. So doctors decided not to remove the bullet, as it was usual practice to prevent more damage. However after a while she developed a bunch of health problems and eventually died. Investigation found that the reason was lead poisoning. Apparently some acidic fluids in the joints can dissolve lead and introduce it into the blood stream.

[bound_jenny]

I guess that's why the Mythbusters wore gloves when handling the lead foil in the Lead Balloon myth.

And why they stopped using lead in tins containing food.

And why they're getting rid of lead in electronics.

And why there is no more leaded gasoline (at least not around here).

And why there are so many Chinese-made toy recalls.

Jenny.

[Hanol]

Jenny, I can appreciate your statements. However did you really read articles on lead poisoning? I would agree on Chinese toys. But for other reasons. Political propaganda is nice and it works for 99% of fools. All you have to do is give some statements and no facts to support them.

[cdinbonds]

Get your facts straight
Lead was banned in solder used for plumbing over 20 years ago.
Yes there are still some OLD systems still in use that have lead pipe and lead solder in them, but NO ONE is installing those systems anymore.

Lead has been proven to be toxic. It is a very soft metal, and handling it WILL transfer some to your skin. Then if you haven't washed thouroghly, it can be transferred to food, and ingested. No, small quantities like that won't kill you, but prolonged exposure will.

I worked in a manufacturing plant that made both hydraulic cylinders and electronic circuit boards. EVERYONE who worked on circuit boards had to have annual blood tests for lead. The people who machined and welded the pistons for the hydraulic cylinders also had to have the same tests, because the steel alloy used for them had lead in it to make it easier to machine to the extremely smooth finish needed.

Lead is not something to play around with.

For some reason you, Hanol, seem to be of the opinion that you have to argue with every safety warning that is posted here, trying to disprove it, and making it sound like there is no problem. So my advice to you is to go eat some lead, then hook up your homemade e-stim to your nipples and crank it up full.