Researching about the toxicity of lead in scuba diving

[Teamcasa]

I'm researching about the toxicity of lead in scuba diving.

The toxicity of lead does not change just because it is used in diving.

Lead blocks or even bags of soft lead do not present much of an issue to a diver unless they are careless about keep their hands clean after touching it they drop it on their foot.

 

[pollywogg]

I don't mean to stir anything up, this really is just an innocent question, but don't you have to ingest lead in order to get lead poisoning? I didn't think it could be absorbed directly through the skin.

 

[Cave Diver]

I don't mean to stir anything up, this really is just an innocent question, but don't you have to ingest lead in order to get lead poisoning? I didn't think it could be absorbed directly through the skin.

Lead poisoning can occur through ingestion or respiration of dust, fumes, etc.

 

[Teamcasa]

I don't mean to stir anything up, this really is just an innocent question, but don't you have to ingest lead in order to get lead poisoning? I didn't think it could be absorbed directly through the skin.

Lead poisoning can occur through ingestion or respiration of dust, fumes, etc.

It is true but the levels of exposure (by skin contact alone) are pretty significant.

 

[FredT]

Metallic lead is dangerous is if it hits you with high kinetic energy, or splashes on you.

Metallic lead has to be transformed into a soluble salt to become bio-active.

DO NOT MELT BATTERIES!!!!

I posted a "how to" elsewhere on the board.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/bu...t-systems/272650-making-your-own-weights.html

 

[miketsp]

try depleted uranium

You missed the bit where I said "not practical".

While various governments have thousands of tons of DU in storage, most of it is in the chemically unstable Uranium hexafluoride form.

For me as a private user to obtain more than a few grams is difficult and expensive (going by the few samples I found for sale I'd spend around 2000USD for 15kg).

I believe even in the US, anyone trying to purchase the 15kg I would need for a decent, cold water weightbelt would attract attention.

Annex II to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material 1980 (which became operative on 8 February 1997) classifies DU as a category II nuclear material. Storage and transport rules are set down for that category which indicates that DU is considered sufficiently "hot" and dangerous to warrant these protections.

Although according to most sources it's not that dangerous.
See attached.

 

[Andres Cuevas]

This isn't a direct response on the subject, but here's a pointer to a great repository of dive medicine research...

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the link of rubicon, I just sent them an email.

The questions I made to them were:

Do you have any research about the exposure of divers to lead ballast?
Do we need to be aware that lead is toxic and we need to manipulate it as a toxic material?
Can we store it in our homes without consequences?
Do we need to have the ballast away from our kids?
Do we need to replace the lead ballast for other material or we can use it without worry?

I will let you know if I get some information from them.

Andres.