[babygrant]

My hubby works at a lead smelter. He's been there for 3 1/2 months after a lengthy layoff. He loves his job, the pay is awesome, etc, etc. He's still on probation with his job. He wears sweat pants, sweatshirt, coveralls, and a respirator. He takes his clothes off at work, puts them into the dirty laundry, showers at work, goes into the CLEAN change room, and gets his street clothes back on. When he goes into work the next day his locker is stocked with washed laundry (sweats, sweatshirt, coveralls). He has to get his lead levels checked every month for the first 4 months, then every 3 months after that until he doesn't work there anymore. His baseline was 1. 1 month was 3, 2 month was 8, 3 month he just got back at it's at 15. They are allowed to work in that smelter until they hit 30 and then they are considered "leaded out" and they are shipped to another plant that has lower levels of lead exposure.

We need him to have this job. We are, for the first time ever, in a state where we are financially ok. Of course his health is #1. He feels good, feels healthy, no signs right now of overexposure.

We are wondering though....is there anything we can do to encourage his body to get rid of the lead? I know lead is stored in the blood, kidneys, bones for quite some time, but is there anything we can do to help?

 

[Ackray]

That is the scariest job I've ever heard of! Are they treated when they reach 30?

 

[babygrant]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ackray That is the scariest job I've ever heard of! Are they treated when they reach 30?

No, when they reach 30 they are "leaded out" and moved to another plant until their levels improve, then they get the option to go back into the plant to try it out again. There is an onsite doctor who does check up's with the 1 month lead blood tests.

 

[tanyalynn]

Bowel tolerance vitamin C should help. My dad took extra vitamin C when he worked at a steel mill years ago, it helped him. Also supplemental calcium intake should reduce lead absorbed.

I think Perque's Bone Guard Forte 20 is a very nice multi-mineral supp.

ETA: I'd also consider a nice multivit, preferably one with folate (look into the Metagenics brand).

 

[Vermillion]

Kelp, it helps to flush the lead out.

Here is a helpful link with some nutritional info- http://www.naturalmom.com/lednutri.htm

 

[Panserbjorne]

I would also do my damnedest to make sure he was NOT anemic so the lead has less opportunity to attach to the hemoglobin. I would personally use homeopathy as well...but vitamin C is a great idea as is iodine. In that situation I would want to use higher doses than can be accessed from food. I'd be supplementing all the way. Calcium is another must. I think I'd be juicing some serious greens as well....

And, ummmmm hells yes about that being a very dangerous job! Holy mackerel!

 

[babygrant]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Panserbjørne I would also do my damnedest to make sure he was NOT anemic so the lead has less opportunity to attach to the hemoglobin. I would personally use homeopathy as well...but vitamin C is a great idea as is iodine. In that situation I would want to use higher doses than can be accessed from food. I'd be supplementing all the way. Calcium is another must. I think I'd be juicing some serious greens as well.... And, ummmmm hells yes about that being a very dangerous job! Holy mackerel!

This is the same town that has common lead testing for kids....it's not recommended to plant a vegetable garden because of high lead levels in the soil.....

 

[TonyaW]

Calcium binds with lead. I would give him a great calcium and magnesium supplement and make sure he taking another good mineral supplement.

 

[babygrant]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyaW Calcium binds with lead. I would give him a great calcium and magnesium supplement and make sure he taking another good mineral supplement.

Would it matter when he takes it? He works 4/4. 2 days (5:30 am - 5:30 pm) and 2 nights (5:30 pm - 5:30 am) and then 4 days off. Can I buy the cal/mag or should I do calcium and magnesium seperately?

 

[sbgrace]

I like a lot of what people have suggested. Someone else mentioned vitamin C but this is key and so is dosage.

Quote:

Studying the results each week, Dr. Dawson and his colleagues found no changes in the placebo test group or in the group receiving only 200 milligrams daily. But the group receiving 1,000 milligrams a day saw blood levels of lead drop sharply after only one week of the vitamin supplementation. Their blood lead levels remained low throughout the remainder of the test period.

http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/69f56.htm Use ascrobic acid now (readily available) and if he doesn't tolerate that try sodium ascorbate which you'll have to get online. Split up the dose if it gives him diarrhea. But get the 1000 in him daily.

Note that extra calcium (above RDA levels) hasn't been proven to reduce lead absorption and can affect absorption of iron which you also need at good levels. He can only absorb 500 mg. at a time. His RDA level (food and supplements together) is 1000 mg. per day. Extra doesn't appear to chelate lead either in recent studies I've seen. So you want to make sure he's at his RDA level for calcium via supplements (lead free supplements with adequate vitamin D for absorption...I'd give him 5000 IU per day and no less than 2000 IU) or food is what you want. He needs magnesium for absorption too as others have pointed out. Excess calcium isn't good for a body.

Neither is excess iron. You want adequate iron intake but not excess. Ferrous bis-glycinate is a form of iron that doesn't build up excess levels as easily. I would still keep him at RDA levels although the frequent blood draws provides an outlet for his body that most men don't have.

Don't over-do either iron or calcium but you do want adequate levels to reduce absorption. I'd do a dose of calcium before he goes into work if possible so it's in there when he goes. Do the other dose before he goes to sleep. Iron and zinc need to be at least two hours away from the calcium. That's why you may need to do iron on the days off instead of daily. I'd consider the zinc (I talk about that below) everyday if you can work that in.

Does he eat there while being exposed to lead on his clothing or does he get completely clean before eating. It seems like eating with lead on his clothing and/or hands would be a big exposure risk.

Iron could be given in the days off only if you wanted though you'd combine doses to higher levels and I would only do that with the bis-glycinate form. Vitamin C is important with iron.

Consider optizinc. Give it away from calcium, iron, other minerals.

Quote:

In fact, a 1991 study showed that a combination of zinc and methionine actually inhibits lead absorption and reduces lead levels in the blood.

http://www.wholehealth.com/index.cfm...Product_ID=164

If you do Kelp make sure it's not contaminated with heavy metals. Our oceans are so polluted so use a good source.

What a tough situation. Since you live in such a lead contaminated area are your children being tested regularly as well. I'd suspect it's in the environment though your husband starting so low is encouraging!

 

[babygrant]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbgrace Does he eat there while being exposed to lead on his clothing or does he get completely clean before eating. It seems like eating with lead on his clothing and/or hands would be a big exposure risk. What a tough situation. Since you live in such a lead contaminated area are your children being tested regularly as well. I'd suspect it's in the environment though your husband starting so low is encouraging!

Actually I don't believe they change before eating. I'll have to ask him.

We actually live about 1/2 hour away, so our kids don't need to get tested. The kids in the town with the smelter are recommended to get tested though.

 

[momof4peppers]

If he washes his hands before he eats (after he takes off the respirator) and gets food from a "clean" source, I wouldn't think he's ingesting it.

Cilantro is also supposed to be good for helping chelate (take the lead out) the body. Red meat for the iron is also good. (ummmm, steak fajitas with cheese and cilantro.....)

Good luck. My kids were lead poisoned and it was no fun. My thoughts go out to you.

 

[babygrant]

I put DH on a handful of vitamins as suggested in the Perscription For Nutritional Healing book and DH's lead levels went from 15 down to 10! We ran out of vitamins for a couple weeks there, so he wasn't taking any....but I'm sure it'll be down farther next blood test.

 

[tanyalynn]

Woo-hoo!