Abstract

The training of soldiers for urban conflict involves marksmanship instruction on outdoor flat ranges and the teaching of close-quarter battle techniques in indoor facilities, referred to as shoot houses, where intense firing exercises can generate high air lead levels from small arms ammunition, flash bang grenades, and explosive devices. Levels of lead and copper in air were evaluated during five training activities of a 45-day training course using both stationary general area and breathing zone sampling over a 2-year period. Individual blood lead values were determined prior to and at course completion. Mean breathing zone lead concentrations for the five training activities ranged from 0.014 on the outdoor flat range to 0.064 mg/m³ inside shoot houses; with a change to lead-free ammunition the values were reduced to a range of 0.006–0.022 mg/m³. Isolated flash bang grenades generated very high general area lead concentrations (2.0 mg/m³), which in training were associated with the highest measured breathing zone concentration (0.16 mg/m³). For copper, mean breathing zone concentrations increased from 0.010 to 0.037 mg/m³ with the change to lead-free frangible ammunition on the outdoor range, but remained below the permissible exposure limit for copper fume. Inside shoot houses, mean breathing zone copper concentrations exceeded the permissible exposure limit with ball and lead-free frangible ammunition, ranging from 0.077–0.13 mg/m³. With the introduction of lead-free ammunition, when comparing the blood lead differences between start and finish of the course, there was a significant reduction in the mean blood lead difference from 13.3 µg/dL to 5.4 µg/dL. Options for mitigation of potentially high exposure areas using improved ventilation designs are discussed. These results advocate for improved designs for shoot house training facilities, stress the importance of removing lead from ammunition and explosive devices for training, and promote the continued need for implementation of controls to mitigate and manage metal exposures during training.

摘要

对士兵进行城市冲突方面的培训包括室外平地上的射箭技术指导以及室内设施（称为射击场）的近距离战斗技术的教学，在室内射击场进行密集的射击可以从小型武器弹药，闪光弹中产生高空气铅含量手榴弹和爆炸装置。在为期45天的培训课程的五次培训活动中，使用固定的常规区域和呼吸区采样在2年期间内评估了空气中的铅和铜含量。在疗程结束前和疗程结束时确定个体血铅值。五项训练活动的平均呼吸区铅浓度范围从户外平坦范围的0.014到0.064 mg / m ³射击室内 随着无铅弹药的改变，该值降低到0.006-0.022 mg / m ^3的范围。孤立的闪光手榴弹产生很高的总面积铅浓度（2.0 mg / m ³），在训练中这与测得的最高呼吸区浓度（0.16 mg / m ³）有关。对于铜，随着室外范围内无铅易碎弹药的变化，平均呼吸区浓度从0.010增至0.037 mg / m ³，但仍低于铜烟的允许暴露极限。在射击室内，平均呼吸区的铜浓度超过了无球和无铅易碎弹药的允许暴露极限，范围为0.077-0.13 mg / m ^3。。随着无铅弹药的引入，在比较疗程开始和结束之间的血铅差异时，平均血铅差异从13.3 µg / dL显着降低至5.4 µg / dL。讨论了使用改进的通风设计缓解潜在高暴露区域的方法。这些结果提倡改进射击屋训练设施的设计，强调从弹药和爆炸装置中除去铅以进行训练的重要性，并促进在控制期间继续需要采取减轻和管理金属暴露的控制措施。