Posted by Dick Analog on June 12, 2005 at 14:24:14:
When I rinse soft weight packs (filled with lead shot) in a bucket following a dive, a milky precipitate forms. The lead pellets have of course been exposed to seawater, as well as whatever chemicals are present in treated municipal water. I noticed one time that after this milky water was inadvertently left to dry in the lens of a dive mask, a hard scale had formed; fortunately the scale was water soluble and easily washed out.
Any idea what the precipitate may be? A lead oxide, or salt? I usually use my dive equipment rinse water to irrigate plants in my garden, but up to now I've always disposed of the milky water in a non-planted portion of my backyard.