[csdav]

Hi,
some 12 years back I bought a ceiling lamp like the one below.



The ball that acts as a counterweight was made of lead. And now I have a few questions about it.
- While it was hanging from my ceiling (like up to 8 years ago), I used to handle the counterweight quite often to change the lamp's height depending on what I was doing.
How dangerous was it to manipulate this lead ball like this?

- The counterweight fell a few times on the floor and got some dents in it. I wonder if this made it more dangerous.

- When I moved in 2009 I removed the lamp from the ceiling and packed it in a bag that I brought with me, but I never installed it.

- Last year, I discovered that the company now makes a new counterweight in a different material (Zamak). I then disposed of the lead counterweight, and I was thinking of buying the new one and re-install the lamp at my new place. The problem is that the lamp frame, with sharp aluminum edges, was in the same bag as the counterweight. So the frame probably scratched the surface of the counterweight as a result of shocks during the move. I now wonder if I should clean the lamp frame and the other parts to remove any lead dust that may have remained on it. If so, how? Would a dump cloth suffice?

- Also, should I take any special precautions when handling the lamp before I have cleaned it? Gloves, mask, long sleeves?

I am not sure how much I am being wisely cautious and  how much it's my OCD causing me to panic.

thanks

bye

csdave

[Athrax]

Hello csdav,

what I'm giving you here is my personal opinion, your mileage may vary.
That said, the toxicity of lead gets severely overhyped nowadays. Personally
I'd be worried if I was exposed to areas with large amount of lead dust
on a regular schedule. I'd also be worried if I'd be handling organic
lead compounds with bare hands, for that I'd likely wear gloves if there's
a risk of spillage.

The only danger that lead weight of your lamp might pose is if it fell down
while you were below it and it did hit you in the head.

So no, you do not need gloves, a mask or a hazmat suit to handle your
ex-leadweighted lamp. If you're worried about the falling risk of the
weight, wear a helmet. <g>

With best regards,
-Athrax

[Borek]

I agree with Athrax - as long as the lamp was used the way it was intended to be used (with occasional touching of the weight, but without using it as a meat tenderizer), you are/were on the safe side. Even if there are some traces of the lead on the lamp now, amounts are way too low for any serious danger. Washing with a dump cloth is something that will definitely not hurt, and if it is going to make you feel better - go for it.

IMHO, YMMV, put your favorite disclaimer here.

[Corribus]

Lead absorption through skin is very (very) slow, unless it is in organic form, which this is decidedly not. Where lead becomes a big problem is if it is ingested or inhaled. This usually either requires dissolution of lead into a medium that can be ingested (leaching of lead into a solvent like water), or it is in a material that is easily pulverized and then inhaled (as in peeling lead paint). For children, ingestion of lead paint can also be a problem.

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/csem.asp?csem=7&po=6

If it were my lamp, I wouldn't be very concerned. But you should act according to your comfort level.

[csdav]

Lead absorption through skin is very (very) slow, unless it is in organic form, which this is decidedly not. Where lead becomes a big problem is if it is ingested or inhaled. This usually either requires dissolution of lead into a medium that can be ingested (leaching of lead into a solvent like water), or it is in a material that is easily pulverized and then inhaled (as in peeling lead paint). For children, ingestion of lead paint can also be a problem.

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/csem.asp?csem=7&po=6

If it were my lamp, I wouldn't be very concerned. But you should act according to your comfort level.

Thank you all.
Just one question regarding the above. Since you talk about solvents like water, is there any issue in cleaning the lamp with a damp cloth? This should remove lead particles if there are any, but is there any risk of lead passing through the skin if I touch the cloth with my bare hands? I once read that some lead oxides can easily traverse the skin.

thanks!

[Corribus]

I don't personally worry about handling most solid metal objects with my bare hands for brief periods of time. Even gentle washing with a soft cloth does not seem that risky to me. Most metal is ductile enough that actual particles are unlikely to be dislodged without a very abrasive cloth. Just don't use very acidic or high ionic strength cleaners, and dispose of any cleaning water you use after you are done. In the event that I had any real concern, I would just wear some gloves and then dispose of them after I was done, afterwards washing my hands thoroughly.

Borek had the best advice, I think: don't use it as a meat tenderizer.

[Enthalpy]

I just love the meat tenderizer 

Just to put in perspective, the ancient Roman aristocrats ate in lead plates and didn't get poisoned of it quickly since they lived for generations.

If there are any lead traces on an other metal part, you'll notice darker marks. Rub them off for nice aspect.

Personally, I wouldn't dispose of the lamp because of the lead counterweight. I'd just use it as it is, or at the very most, pack the lead weight in aluminium foil, or wrap it in thin sticky plastic foil for food, or in adhesive tape.

But it's your health, you decide.

You can worry more about a broken fluorescent lamp that releases mercury vapour than about touching the lead counterweight.