Detectorists, Constipation and Joint Pains

[John Winter]

Some people may think that I’m as mad as a hatter, completely bonkers … and they could be right. I’ve just had a ‘eureka’ moment …

Detectorists, Constipation and Joint Pains |

 

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[CincinnatiKid]

Thank you John Winter for another superb post.
As I am fully trained for lead abatement, I realize lead has serious consequences over centuries of use.
This said, I also attribute constipation and localized joint pain to Taco Bell.
Peace ✌

 

[Msbeepbeep]

I have all those symptoms at one time or another, I'm blaming aging, and less than perfect diet and exercise.
I doubt my doctor would let me blame lead poisoning....but I could try!

 

[OWK]

I used to chew lead fishing weights as a kid.

May explain a few other things, but I can still poop, and bend my knees.

 

[huntsman53]

I feel that one of the biggest sources of Detectorists constipation and joint pain among other ailments, actually lies in eating too much fast food and drinking too many carbonated sodas from the many Fast Food Restaurants we find traveling to and from our metal detecting sites. Just think about how much better we all would feel if we only ate granola or healthy energy bars, carrots...celery...lettuce and an apple and only drank Green Tea and water while out metal detecting!


Frank

 

[BosnMate]

I feel that one of the biggest sources of Detectorists constipation and joint pain among other ailments, actually lies in eating too much fast food and drinking too many carbonated sodas from the many Fast Food Restaurants we find traveling to and from our metal detecting sites. Just think about how much better we all would feel if we only ate granola or healthy energy bars, carrots...celery...lettuce and an apple and only drank Green Tea and water while out metal detecting!


Frank

I find Taco Bell has the opposite effect on my bowels, along with mucho gas. I blame the refried beans. When I was a kid we played with mercury, turning copper pennies into silver by rubbing in the mercury held in the palm of our hand. (Hmmmm? perhaps that's what's wrong with my brother) Anyhow, my pellet rifle was a single shot, so I carried lead pellets in my mouth while out shooting my .22 caliber Crossman air rifle. Had them in my mouth so I could get a faster reload, and yes, we bit fishing sinkers to squeeze them onto the line. Kids are sure missing a lot of fun anymore. Oh yeah, I'm beyond the lead stage, I'm now in my "golden years" -- which simply means all my gold is going out to the doctors.

 

[McKinney_5900]

I find Taco Bell has the opposite effect on my bowels, along with mucho gas. I blame the refried beans. When I was a kid we played with mercury, turning copper pennies into silver by rubbing in the mercury held in the palm of our hand. (Hmmmm? perhaps that's what's wrong with my brother) Anyhow, my pellet rifle was a single shot, so I carried lead pellets in my mouth while out shooting my .22 caliber Crossman air rifle. Had them in my mouth so I could get a faster reload, and yes, we bit fishing sinkers to squeeze them onto the line. Kids are sure missing a lot of fun anymore. Oh yeah, I'm beyond the lead stage, I'm now in my "golden years" -- which simply means all my gold is going out to the doctors.

I did the same thing with pellets. That was back in the 60s

 

[hvacker]

I'm not sure about that theory. I watched a History Ch story on lead mining in Mo. and the guys didn't even wear face masks. They drilled and blasted the galena and the place was filled with the dust. I'm sure OSHA would have had something to say.

 

[CincinnatiKid]

OSHA can be a mystery?
OSHA can also make work sites safer.
OSHA can also require unnecessary fees to make sites safer.
OSHA can fine INDIVIDUALS, not just companies for non-compliance of various broken violations at will at their own discretion?
It costs alot of money these days to construct, destruct, or generally work in " the trades" or any blue collar business.
Are we safer? Yes
Does it cost more now? Definitely.
If even one life is saved by spending money, do so.
Peace ✌

 

[texasred777]

I don't have a problem with constipation or joint pain. I'll be 73 next month. I do have some stiffness in some of my joints, but occasionally, not continuously. I have been around lead, mercury, asbestos, etc. all my life. I've chewed lead, played with mercury, replaced a lot of brake shoes on cars when they were asbestos, and used to fill my water pistol with DDT! The only problem I saw was that DDT would melt the plastic after a while.
Now, with all that said, one might think that I'm a raving lunatic. Could they be right? It's very possible that I am!!

 

[OWK]

If even one life is saved by spending money, do so.

Never quite understood slogans like this.

Easy to be generous with someone else's money.

Trillions could be spent inching out an extra pinch of safety.

We could require that no one ever leave their home unless the were first wrapped in bubble wrap.

It would probably save lives.

Worth it?

No.

 

[Escape]

We could require that no one ever leave their home unless the were first wrapped in bubble wrap.

It would probably save lives.

Worth it?

No.

It would be worth it. Especially if you manufacture bubble rap

 

[Escape]

At least we know thw effects of lead now. In the 1700's it was an ingredient in wine. Made it sweeter.

 

[mikeraydj]

Sorry John, but your post left me a bit flat. I thought it was a puff piece that was used to fill space. I am sure that there are times when that happens. I will be looking forward to a piece about metal detecting and history, not lead poisoning. I know you can do better.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

I'd be more apt to pick up some lead problems from the casting of lead balls for muzzleloading (I used to do about 2,000 per year). Scrounging old lead plumbing flashings, even taking a wood plane to a lead sailboat keel I was allowed to "harvest" so long as i didn't saw it (it was at a marina).

For the most part pure lead isn't in a form that can be metabolized. The lead has to be ingested in a "fixed" state - like the lead that is omnipresent after decades of burning leaded fuel (tetraethyl lead). THAT is immediately absorbed by the body and is now present even in Antarctica. And still allowed in avaition fuel. Live near an airport?

You would do better worrying about that than casually handling some lead scrap. Still - don't put it in your mouth.

 

[John Winter]

Sorry John, but your post left me a bit flat. I thought it was a puff piece that was used to fill space. I am sure that there are times when that happens. I will be looking forward to a piece about metal detecting and history, not lead poisoning. I know you can do better.

As I say on the blog Mike ... You will find regular posts about metal detecting matters on here, but perhaps the approach is different to what you might expect; I will occasionally talk about other subjects that take my fancy.

Actually, the post WAS about metal detecting and I'm sorry you were disappointed. I promise to try harder next time. :-)
Thanks for the comment on my blog ... it was appreciated!

 

[CincinnatiKid]

Thanks CharlieP. Great info.
I use sheet lead on a weekly, sometimes daily basis, to pin thin gauge tin flashings to chimneys, walls, mortar joints, etc. I always wear gloves.
Old paint containing lead is of concern too.
Peace ✌

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

I lived in a home that was old enough (built in 1822) that it actually had some lead in the intake plumbing of the drinking water. Certainly the old paints were suspect.

Pure lead itself is pretty darned inert. But "pure" lead (or any element in the wild) is rare as it usually has impurities. Lead oxide (used by the Romans for a sweetener!) is worse. But the lead in paint is much more complex molecules with other very reactive things like oxygen and chromate, so when it gets in your bloodstream through ingestion the PbCrO4 molecule (a very bright yellow pigment) sheds some lead to bind with other molecules and then you have a heavy metal ending up in places it shouldn't be - like a child's brain and bones. So when you sand old lead-based paints and pigments you are wise to keep from breathing in the dust.

But for what we run up against - lead and lead oxide encrusted finds. You're in more danger from the other baddies in the soil: like the byproducts of Clostridium tetani, Clostridium botulin, Escherichia coli. Keep your hands away from your face when digging.