DIY Weights

[leadking]

The white milky product IS lead oxide!!!

The amount of lead oxide created by a product can fairly well be summed up by the amount of surface area exposed to oxygen. Lead shot has a HUGE surface area. We used the largest shot, #4, vs. the 7.5 shot to greatly reduce the surface area. The post on washing the shot after each dive is what I would recommend, although it may be overkill. Understand that shot will oxidise rapidly under the following three conditions.

1. Use in a chlorine treated pool. Chlorine is a super-oxidizing agent. Washing lead after immersion in chlorine treated water and allowing to dry will greatly reduce oxidization.

2. Use in salt water. Salt residue on shot will actually pull moisture from the air and again increase oxidization. Rinsing in fresh water is recommended and will reduce oxidation.

3. Leaving the shot in your bc or belt will also increase oxidation. Always remove and spread out your weights on a clean dry surface to dry as quickly as possible.

Remember that lead is like iron, rust is iron oxide. Practice prevention by keeping the product clean and drying as soon as practible will provide a long produtive life of the product.

Clean dry shot is very stable and just practising good hygiene will prevent lead exposure. Lead is gathered in your body because your body thinks is is calcium (another metal). Your uptake of lead is not quick. It is not short term exposure but repeated long term exposure to be most concerned about.

Hopefully this answers most of your questions.