? lead hazard -Reply

[MICHAEL BLOTZER <Michael.J.Blotzer@lerc.nasa.gov>]

>>One of our IHs raised a question about the lead we use for shielding
and the hazards associated with it.  We tend to use a lot of lead foil
for the I-125 work.  It is bent and shaped as required, wearing
gloves.

Should we be concerned about this?  Should all the lead foil and
bricks be wrapped in duct tape?  Has anyone measured lead levels in
such cases?<<

You should definitely have an industrial hygiene review of your lead
handling practices, including air and wipe sampling. We reviewed this
in our HP operations and sampled airborne lead exposure during
dismantling of lead shielding in a hood. While the work was not full
shift, we did see an airborne exposure of 35 micrograms per cubic
meter of air during the work period. 

Wipe sampling revealed significant surface contamination throughout
the facilities where lead was used, contamination which had to be
cleaned up. To minimize future contamination we painted the bricks
with an encapsulant.

I hope this helps.

Michael Blotzer
NASA Lewis Research Center
Cleveland, Ohio
michael.j.blotzer@lerc.nasa.gov
Disclaimer: Everything I know is wrong.
Disclaimer 2: If you smell an odorless gas, it's probably carbon
monoxide.