Dave wrote:


On Mon, 03 Oct 2005 21:20:25 GMT, Rosalie B.
said:

It doesn't really matter to the body whether the lead is breathed in
as dust or fume. Both are hazardous.

It makes a great deal of difference, however, to the matter under
discussion. You argue that melting lead in a can over a stove creates lead
fumes. Gordon argues that the temperature is too low to create lead fumes.
The fact that lead might be ingested by breathing dust is utterly irrelevant
to that issue.

Except that lead fume, if it isn't breathed in BECOMES lead dust when
it cools.

What did you think happened to it?

Again, the argument doesn't hold up. The question is whether the temperature
at which lead melts is sufficiently high to create lead fumes. Lead dust is
not relevant unless you assume your conclusion that it is, rather than that
the lead dust came from another source such as, for example, applying a wire
brush or other abrasives to old solder.

The folks that had the contaminated workplace and clothing were in
effect melting lead on a stove. They weren't doing wire brushing or
other operations, so the lead dust must have come from melting the
lead.

While they do wire brushing in radiator shops, they were also using a
propane torch which was also way hotter than usual, so the lead dust
could have come from either operation.

grandma Rosalie