bitter taste in mouth after sanding brass?

OK, I found the alloy description, here:

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Copper, tin, lead, and zinc, primarily. I see no beryllium.

Reply to
Dave Hinz
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Seek medical attention. Really.

Reply to
John R. Carroll

But doesn't it count as lead poisoning then? :)

Reply to
Don Bruder

Ignoramus11514 wrote:

I have worked in the injection molding industry much of my life with these materials so I have personal experience with this. Had a couple of employees get pretty sick largely because they didn't se the need to properly handle things they were around all the time. You may have heavy metal poisoning and a trip to your physician as soon as it is reasonably possible is definitely in order. There isn't really a safe level but the fact that you continue to experience symptoms is a very clear indication that there is a problem to one extent or another. There are many alloys of bronze. I am not familiar with the McMaster Carr line of products and always bought from an actual manufacturer. Brush Wellman for instance. The common bronzes fall into two main categories. Aluminum and Be-Cu alloys. There are also other elements used in modern Bronze production that may or may not be in the chemical description listed. Selenium is one you hardly ever see on a data sheet but it is frequently incorporated when the material is alloyed. The third thing to consider is that ALL bronzes are toxic as powders. At any rate, I was only attempting to do a good deed and not scare the crap out of you or anyone else. Machinists work with all manner of things on a daily basis that have the potential to harm them. Something that isn't a problem as a solid can be very hazardous as a vapor of powder. Anytime you ingest something and become symptomatic you should consult a physician. The life you save may be your own.

Reply to
John R. Carroll

Depends; some of the copper-only bullets are out there, but I've never tried them.

Reply to
Dave Hinz

I was about to suggest the copper connection when I read your post. Copper really screws up your taste buds.

Harold

Reply to
Harold and Susan Vordos

Dave, See my reply to Ig. Didn't mean to set off alarm bells or anything but people frequently underestimate the ability of their day to day environment to do them harm. Sorry if anyone got the wrong idea.

Reply to
John R. Carroll

Yeah, it does. And the worst thing is how my tongue felt. I can't even describe it but it was sorta the way unripe bananas make my tongue feel. But not as bad as walnuts or pecans. Eric

Reply to
Eric R Snow

What could a doctor do other than tell him to wash his paws before handling food and sending him a bill for 500 bucks for that sage advice? Are you really gonna find a doctor that is specifically knowledgeable about exposure to trace amounts of metallic dusts? This stuff will poison you if you breathe it, or eat it, or get it in your system somehow. Spend the money on gloves,masks and safety glasses. Don't pay for a doctor's Lexus after the fact.

Reply to
daniel peterman

Aye, that. All of my copper-bearing ones are just that - A copper coating wrapped around a lead (and maybe other things, but no telling what without an assay) core. They seem to be adequate for my purposes, so why mess with success? :)

Reply to
Don Bruder

Dan, There are treatments to help your body eliminate these toxins. Nothing fancy but what a doctor is able to do is run the necessary tox screen to determine if there is a real problem. As for finding a knoweledgeable physician, any GP should be very aware of this sort of thing. You are not, after all, going to show up and ask him to diagnose a condition without providing a little history. You are likely to point right at the problem before he even examines you. Spending the funds to aquire safety equipment is always the best course of action. It's a little late to do that here, except to avoid future problems. I'd also think a little peace of mind might be of some value and a real doctor could also point out means of future protection for things that are encountered beyond brass. At this point, I am sorry I butted in and will keep it zipped in the future.

Reply to
John R. Carroll

Copper salts do that. I manufacture a number of pyrotechnic compositions that require the use of copper oxides or chlorides. I end up with the same taste (mask, or not) every time I mix.

LLoyd

Reply to
Lloyd E. Sponenburgh

My guess is it's the zinc causing the taste. Zinc salts have a very bitter and astringent taste. Copper salts have a similar taste but zinc is a much more reactive metal, most likely reacting with the acids in the mouth. As for toxicity zinc has been successfully used for years on galvanized water pipes and don't forget the zinc caps that mom used on Mason jars when canning.

Engineman

Reply to
engineman1

That is interesting. The fact that you are still alive and of sound mind, is highly encouraging to me.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus11514

I'm quite surprised that a metal which seems pretty unreactive has this effect, although perhaps it is caused by one of the more reactive component metals of the bronze. Does anyone know the scientific cause of the sensation? Is it a galvanic effect, or a chemical reaction producing a bitter chemical, or some kind of poisoning? Just curious...

Hope the taste disappears soon, Iggy.

Chris

Reply to
Christopher Tidy

Years ago, in another place, a friend was running a still---with a copper condenser. Some of the squeezin's came out with a touch of copper solution,. almost imperceptible to the eye. Damned near choked to death on the damned stuff. Strangely, we need a small percentage in our system in order to enjoy good health-------but it must be some kind of small.

Harold

Reply to
Harold and Susan Vordos

There is an information on a medical web site that reports to copper inhalation (or its derivatives). Says that copper or powder of copper inhalation can changes tastes and led to symptoms of "metal fume fever"

Do a search on "metal fume fever" and you will see symptoms like you described.

Reply to
AndreL

Its the Tannic Acid

Ayup, after being mashed up.

Its not bad..pretty much tasteless. About like Poi, if you have had it. if not leached long enough..can be bitter indeed.

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Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner

Reply to
Gunner Asch

Copper/Nickle alloy. There are a very very few pure copper ones, and a fair amount of bronze ones.

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner

Reply to
Gunner Asch

On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 13:23:03 +0000 (UTC), with neither quill nor qualm, Christopher Tidy quickly quoth:

Native Americans survived long winters on stashes of acorns. They had a lengthy process for making them edible, though. I'll tell you more after I read another couple books which are in my queue, Tom Brown, Jr's "The Tracker" and "Medicinal and Edible Plants."

Brass tastes funny and leaves an residue on your hands which transfers to the tongue quite easily.

I believe brass is dissolved by alkaline substances, so some Milk of Magnesia might work. This handy chart may help you, Iggy:

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Reply to
Larry Jaques

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