> Maybe it's just all the turkey and carbs from today's meal, but I'm
> confused...how would this woman get lead into her body from a firing
> range?  Is she meant to be the target???
>
Nope.  This is a real phenomenon.  The lead from the bullets vaporizes
because of the heat and the bullets lose fragments as they travel
through the barrel (that's how forensics experts trace bullets to
individual weapons - by the scars left on the bullets as they travel
through the gun).  Those fragments are tiny powdered bits that float in
the air for a while, as does the lead vapor.  Ranges tend to be small,
enclosed spaces with many people firing many rounds of ammunition for
prolonged periods of time.  That's why OSHA considers firing ranges a
real source of industrial lead contamination and why ranges have to meet
stringent ventilation standards.  I posted URLs that give more
information about those standards yesterday.  Indoor ranges, of course,
are a greater hazard than outdoor ranges.

"Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation" says that blood lead levels can reach
problematic doses in women who have exposure to lead in excess of the
background levels we all experience every day.  It is unclear whether
this police officer would be exposed to that level of risk at the range
where she would be expected to shoot.  More data is needed about the
range, whether or not it meets NRA and/or OSHA standards, and if she
could lower her risk in other ways (e.g. changing clothes, showering,
and washing her hair immediately after shooting).  The frequency and
duration of her mandatory visits to the range should also be evaluated.

If this woman were my client I would assist her in gathering more
information from OSHA and NRA sources, then discuss the implications
with her.  She may decide that a few months of desk duty would be her
preferred method of minimizing risk for her baby.

Cheri Van Hoover, CNM

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