lead poisoning

[orange]

not strictly Amiga related..
How dangerous are the solder fumes? I've heard that there are now lead-free "solder wires", should we switch to them? (unfortunately that doesn't help when unsoldering old equipment)

[taunusand]

I solder almost every day at work.
I have tried that new lead-free carp! I will NEWER reccomend it!
I know a few people that always has used the old type, with lead, wich never had problems with it. I started to work as an electronic technician in 1998, never had any "lead" problems.

Use the old type, with lead, it works and gives the best result :-)

[JLF65]

The fumes from solder is from the flux that is normally included with the solder, and contains no lead. The lead doesn't vaporize in any case, so it's not a danger unless you like picking up solder splatter and eating it. The danger with lead-based solder is when you DISPOSE of the equipment later - the lead could eventually leach into the surroundings if not recycled/disposed of properly.

[BillE]

How dangerous are the solder fumes? I've heard that there are now lead-free "solder wires", should we switch to them? (unfortunately that doesn't help when unsoldering old equipment)

Probably the average politically correct Health and Safety moron would tell you that the lead in solder is extremely dangerous.

I have been soldering my own projects for well over 30 years now and my brain damage is only marginal. So marginal that it is not near damaged enough to be able to get a job in Health & Safety. For that you have to have almost no brain at all.

To be on the safe side when soldering using lead solder do not put your nose directly over the fumes and breathe in heavily. Just use common sense. You will probably do many things each day that are far more dangerous.

Unless you intend to spend 24 hours a day soldering in a confined space I would not worry about it. Some idiot with a cigarette sitting next to will cause you far more harm.

[spaceman88]

You should wash your hands after soldering, but other than that you are probably OK.

[Orjan]

The rule is, if a circuit board is manufactured with leaded solder, you shall use leaded solder in the repair process. If lead-free solder is used in production, lead-free solder shall be used in repair process.
The two types of solder shall not be mixed.

When lead-free solder started to appear on the market, we recieved an informational pamphlet at work. It basically said that the lead-free solder is better for the environment, stated the stuff I mentioned above, and also said that it is actually more hazardous to inhale the fumes from lead-free solder than from leaded. I wouldn´t worry too much, though. Just avoid inhaling it, and if you are going to solder on a regular basis, you might want to get a fan which sucks the fumes away.

[weirdami]

@BillE

Asbestos is the same way.

[Plaz]

spaceman88 wrote:
You should wash your hands after soldering, but other than that you are probably OK.

Absolutely true. I was going to say the same thing. The flux fumes are not a problem, but I always run a small fan so the don't sit in my face and make my nose itch if I'm dong alot of soldering.

Always wash your hands after handling the solder or any other circuit boards to remove any lead or chemical residue. I've been using solder since about 1978, with no ill effects to report.... so far.

Plaz

[amiga_3k]

Lead is dangerous in two ways:

1) When it enters your body at high velocity after a noisy bang.

2) When you get it in small portions over a long period (like from drinking leaded fuel).

The problem with lead is that, unlike other poisonous substances, your body doesn't get rid of it and stores it.

From my experience, the hot soldering-irons are a lot more likely to cause harm (burned skin) than the soldering plumb. Washing hands and not licking your fingers when soldering is a good thing to do tho.

[weirdami]

Or when playing this thing

[recidivist]

The main hazard of lead has been neglected children chewing on old paint in subsidized housing;these children end up with depressed intelligence and other health problems.The best preventative is parents who don't let their children chew on paint chips!

Radio hams soldered like crazy for years and they don't seem to have suffered.

Wash your hands,clean up the spatters,and you should be fine.

[leohopkins]

I swear by lead solder. I use it everyda and have never to my knowledge had any problems with the fumes.

Cokledoodlemoooooooooo

[alexh]

I lived in a house with lead pipes for 20 years while growing up. Ok, so I guess I mainly drank coke for those 20 years but still. We brushed our teeth, took baths and showers etc.

Never did erm... what was that name??? oh yes, "me" never did ME any harm. ;-)

As for depressed intelligence, I've got Degrees in Physics & Chemistry and Microelectronics plus a 9 year career in Semiconductor design.

Behavioural problems... well yeah maybe  :roll:

You shouldn't worry about it, you're 100,000 times more likely to die crossing the road or driving to the shop to buy lead free solder!

[mrmkl]

Inhaling the fumes can cause health problems, such as allergy.
I've used a table-top fan directed away from the soldering iron, so it pulls the fumes out of my face. I've also used a rechargeable hand held vacuum cleaner to suck the fumes. (The batteries run flat quickly and vacuum cleaners make noise.)
Depending on the weather and air pressures, keeping a window or door open near where you solder can help. But sometimes the airflow comes inside instead of going outside.
Some fluxes are more poisonous, allergenic or irritating than others, and if you will use extra flux (from syringe, flux pen or other form) you will probably experience stronger fumes, which are best to be ventilated somewhere else from the house.

[orange]

I see, thank you all for encouraging answers and useful suggestions.
 :-)