Lead soft wieghts can be harmful to your health ??

[DiveBandit]

I just read a "letter to the editor" page 14 in "DiveTraining" the free mag all dive shops carry. In the letter the writer mentions that when washing lead soft wieghts after a saltwater dive, the wieghts leave a milky cloud in the soaking water that can cause lead poisoning if not washed off you properly. Is this so, and if so should I worry about this or is this blown out of proportion????

 

[scubapolly]

Anytime you handle lead you should wash your hands. Touching the lead is not the problem, you have to injest if for it to be harmful. In other words, don't pick up your lead weights then pick up and eat your sandwich.
Doing this a single time is not going to hurt you, but repeated exposures can be dangerous. The effects can be greater in children.

 

[Jake]

Scubapolly has it pretty much dead on. Keep in mind that lots of things, including AC power cables for computers, contain lead. It is very smart to wash your hands before eating, rubbing your eye, etc, not just to remove bacteria, but to wash away chemicals like this.

I have friends who work for a chain out here called Sport Chalet, and they were taught to handle the loose weights with gloves on (not by management, but by their supervisors). I generally try and keep my gloves on when handling my weights, both pre- and post dive. It's probably over kill as you suggest, but better safe than sorry.

 

[DiveBandit]

I guess soaking/washing the wieghts last would be a good idea. Otherwise your getting that lead film on all the other gear you soak after the wieghts. Probably safe to say I should wash out the rinse container as well.

 

[ScubaJW]

Soft weights and hard weights consist the lead as well as most artifical baits (lead), and many things! After you deal with those kind of things, it's wise to wash your hands for your own safety.

Rinising your own gears in water tanks, I don't put weights in but some people do. What I will do, rinse out my gears in one of those tanks if necessary then go home and rinse the gears again with fresh water. That is probably when you are away from home at one of those exotic locations!

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

I find that eating a urinal cake and washing it down with a cup of bleach helps to counteract the effects of chewing on my lead weights during surface intervals.

 

[rjack321]

There's no lead in pencils, that's graphite.

 

[pgdive]

Another point along the same lines (and this came right from the manufacturer), shot lead should not be used in swimming pools (like in dive claseses) because the chlorine reacts with the lead and causes it to leach out more quickly than in fresh water. We only use coated solid lead in all of the pools that we use. This is especially true in any class involving kids, like the PADI Seal team.


Paul

 

[dherbman]

I find that eating a urinal cake and washing it down with a cup of bleach helps to counteract the effects of chewing on my lead weights during surface intervals.

That will leave a nasty ring if you continue.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

That will leave a nasty ring if you continue.

:lol: