Leave the Lead at the Range™
Protect Yourself. Protect Your Family.
A COEF Public Health Initiative
A national study published in The Journal of Pediatrics found that household firearm ownership is associated with elevated blood lead levels in children, even when accounting for other major sources of lead exposure (like paint and water). The research analyzed data from 44 states and reported that for every 10% increase in households owning guns, there was an approximately 30% increase in elevated pediatric blood lead cases.
The chemical lead was removed from paint, gasoline, plumbing, and many consumer products because it can permanently damage children’s developing brains and leave adults with nerve damage, heart disease, kidney failure, or memory problems.
But many commonly used firearms and ammunition still use lead. Firing a gun generates airborne lead particles and lead-containing dust which lands on the shooter and spreads in the air to clothing, shoes, hats, hair, and exposed skin.
Lead dust doesn’t stay at a shooting range. Whether shooting at an indoor range or outdoors, lead can be carried home on clothing, shoes, hands, and in vehicles.
Once inside a home or car, lead dust settles on floors, furniture, toys, and other household surfaces where children and other family members can be exposed.
Lead enters the body by breathing airborne lead dust and by swallowing contaminated dust particles from one’s hands or household surfaces.
No level of lead exposure is considered safe.
Lead can cross the placenta during pregnancy and can cross the blood-brain barrier, interfering with brain development in kids and adults. Lead can accumulate in bones, teeth and other tissues in place of calcium. Children are especially vulnerable because their brains and nervous systems are still developing. Adults might not develop symptoms until blood lead levels become elevated through long-term exposure to lead.
What You Can Do To Protect Your Family From Fiream-Related Lead Exposure
- Wash your hands thoroughly after shooting.
- Shower and change your clothes and shoes immediately after range visits.
- Wash shooting clothes separately before entering your home.
- Store your shooting gear away from living spaces.
- Clean firearms and accessories in well-ventilated areas or outside with precautions.
- Clean vehicle interiors regularly.
- Encourage firing ranges to use lead-mitigation strategies such as ventilation and regular surface cleaning.
- Consider using lead-free ammunition whenever practical.
- Talk about the presence of lead dust before your children visit homes where lead dust might be present.
- Ask your doctor to test blood lead levels if you or your family are regularly exposed to firearm use or shooting range environments.
Resources
Brown University. Firearm ownership is correlated with elevated lead levels in children, study finds. March 1, 2024.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Toxicological Profile for Lead.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). About Lead in the Workplace. (take-home lead exposure)
Brown University. Firearm ownership is correlated with elevated lead levels in children, study finds. (summary of the Journal of Pediatrics study)
U.S. Army Public Health Center. Avoid bringing lead dust home from firing range by following these tips.