Bruce D. Griffin wrote:

For maybe for the first time in the few years I have followed this list a topic has appeared that I am actually quite knowledgeable about and that is health and safety. "Lead vapor", fumes, or dusts are actually the most dangerous route of entry (inhalation) for lead.

No argument about fumes and dusts, but there just aren't vapor amounts of consequence. You can look it up. I still remember when our molten lead heat treating pots were the object of great excitement to the university "health" guys. They came by twice, having concluded the first time there was something wrong with the instruments when they measured zero lead in the air. There was none the second time either--which agrees with handbook data on vapor pressures.

Translating the numbers, I personally might melt lead outside, keeping my face away from the "pot" most of the time and staying up wind. . . When handling lead sheets as I do at the modeling work bench, I make it a habit to wash my hands just after handling leada to reduce the chance of ingestion. I agree a certain amount of "care is needed" but that includes vapors and dusts.

Good advice, which I don' believe is at odds with mine. But remember, say "fumes and dusts," not vapors. Finely divided lead oxide is indeed bad stuff.

Anthony Thompson
Dept. of Materials Science & Engineering
University of California, Berkeley
thompsonmarytony@...