In the opinion or study of this ng, how much of a concern is lead-based solder to the health of the hobbyist in normal use and care?
Is lead-free solder more difficult to work with, or otherwise inferior in the end-result?
Are lead-free solders expensive and/or hard to acquire? Just as toxic (but in different ways?)
Has anyone set up any sort of a "fume hood" or other "fume removal system" at their soldering station? (I plan on doing this with some computer case fans, some dryer hose and maybe some PVC, but am i just nuts?)
Lead free solder is definitely more expensive than standard solder, and typically harder to obtain. I've found its wetting ability to be somewhat inferior to Sn-Pb, so it generally requires a somewhat more aggressive flux. From a hobbyist perspective, more attention must be paid to prepping the surface to be soldered. Properly wetted, formed and cooled solder joints with either solder will be perfectly OK.
If you have kids or pets, be sure to solder in an area where they don't go, or if that's not possible, make sure to keep all loose flecks of solder contained where you can clean them up. Kids are always putting everything in their mouth, which is exactly where you don't want solder to go. Lead has insidious long-term effects on kids, and the substitute metals are even more toxic.
Some people are hyper-sensitive to flux fumes, and I've heard of people who've developed allergies after continued exposure to concentrated fumes. From a hobbyist perspective, mounting a medium-sized (4") line voltage fan behind your work space and having it blow away from you should be sufficient to keep from inhaling concentrated flux fumes. But you also don't want too much air cooling of solder joints. Too much breeze will result in uneven cooling. It's kind of a balance between too little airflow and too much. Putting a ventilation fan right on a cooling solder joint is almost as bad as blowing on solder joints to cool them (an ugly newbie mistake).
Unless you have respiratory problems, are working at this full time in an enclosed space, or are using a particularly nasty flux, it shouldn't be necessary for most fluxes to vent the fan exhaust to the outside. Try just using the fan by itself and see what happens. But first go online to read the MSDS on the flux you use. Material Safety Data Sheets can be a PITA to keep track of, but they are pretty straightforward about hazards and problems, and are made to be read by intelligent people. You can download them from the manufacturers' websites.
(On a personal note, when I solder at home, I usually use Kester "44"
63-37 eutectic tin-lead with a 4" 120VAC fan about 8" or so behind by workspace, and no venting to the outside. Works fine for me.)
(my opinions follow) There is no dangerous fume given off by tin lead solder when heated enough to produce circuit boards. The risk is from ingestion. Wash your hands after work, before eating. Don't eat while you work. The trend toward lead free solder is about ground water contamination in land fills, not about worker safety.
I've found 60/40 tin/lead solder is the easiest to work with. Most of the fumes are from the flux/rosin used. The issue of lead might be a concern if you are soldering drinking water lines in your house. I think this is over hyped though.
One theory of the demise of the romans was that they were quite fond of lead (the word plumber comes from the latin plumbum, which means lead). Here is a brief history.
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Here is a fun quote:
"By the twentieth century, the U.S. had emerged as the world's leading producer and consumer of refined lead. According to the National Academy of Science's report on Lead in the Human Environment, the United States was by 1980 consuming about 1.3 million tons of lead per year. This quantity, which represents roughly 40 percent of the world's supply, translates into a usage rate of 5,221 grams of lead per American per annum: a rate of dependence on lead and lead-containing products nearly ten times greater than that of the ancient Romans! According to Jerome O. Nriagu, the world's leading authority on lead poisoning in antiquity, the comparable Roman rate of lead usage was approximately 550 grams per person per year."
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Regards,
Robert Monsen
"Your Highness, I have no need of this hypothesis."
- Pierre Laplace (1749-1827), to Napoleon,
on why his works on celestial mechanics make no mention of God.
I used to know a toxicologist who had done studies on this. He claimed that the smoke was indeed hazardous and that one should at least use a vent fan. I've forgotten what the hazard was, but I don't think it was lead.
Anyway, I've been using lead-based solder for decades and there's hardly anything wrong-wrong-wrong-wrong- wrong-wrong-wrong-wrong-wrong-wrong-wrong-wrong with me!
Best regards,
Bob Masta dqatechATdaqartaDOTcom D A Q A R T A Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis
Solder used for electronics doesn't normally get hot enough to vaporize any significant amount of lead; it's the flux fumes that can be a problem. Wash your hands after handling solder to avoid ingesting any lead that may have rubbed off on your hands. Using a "no-clean" solder will produce less fumes, and should work OK for general use. The no-clean flux is less active than normal flux and won't work as well on oxidized surfaces, however.
At my old job we had kitchen range hoods set up over the solder pots and vented outside the building. The only problem was that the landlord was not happy about the holes in the wall after the company shut down the plant and moved out.
The push to use unleaded solder has little to do with its toxicity to the user. Used correctly and not eaten, it poses little risk to a person doing the soldering. The risks associated with lead are in the disposal of soldered boards in the millions of TV sets, computers, etc. that find their way into land fills with the lead finding it's way into local water tables. The use of unleaded solder is to keep lead out of the environment not to protect you. Use any kind of solder you like for small quantity, hobby work there is no risk to you and your impact on the environment is nill.
As far as Rome is concerned, the Romans did use lead pipes however the water flowed continuously through these pipes into the many fountains, baths and other waterworks of the city. They basically diverted streams through their pipes and did not impound water or valve it on and off as we do. Each Roman used upwards of several hundred thousand gallons of water per day with water constantly flushing through the system. As a result, there was virtually no accumulation of lead in Roman water. Lead accumulation can occur when the volume of water is low and it sits in contact with solder or other sources without flushing. Bob
But 63/37 is easier if you want to better avoid cold solder joints, yes?
That's great.
Not so great but interesting URL. Thanks.
So we are eating about 5,221/453 grams of lead per year, 12 pounds?
I have a computer which can operate million and billions and trillions but I cannot do this calculation simply, grrrrr, I need to find my CALC program....... or better my $1 calculator with big buttons.
That's not that funny and may explain the dumbing down of America, lower SAT scores, too much lead, leads to short attention spans and so on down the tube.
They cannot mean ingestion. I looked through the article. Nah, we'd all be dumber than we are currently.
They mean use, like in electricity. In any case, one can get a blood test.
Good. It wasn't lead that led to the downfall of the Romans but this leading hypothesis.
I had a feeling that the risks were low, i supposed i just needed some reassurance. :-D I'll be sure to wash my hands afterwards, etc. Fortunately i don't smoke anymore, and i used to fire up the Marlboro absentmindedly a lot.
I still may build a small "fume removal system" just because my bedroom is so very small, and i think that solder fumes stink :oP I will build a small manifold that sits on the windowsill (and the window closes down on it and seals) so i don't have to worry about permanent holes or landlord grief.
Looking at the order processing rate at Futurlec, by time my order shows up it may be summertime anyways, where I can move out to the garage, heh....
I vaguely recall a conjecture that lead in wine was part of the problem. I think this might have started out with lead being used as a seal or something, but it turned out that some lead compound added a certain sweetness that was preferred.
Best regards,
Bob Masta dqatechATdaqartaDOTcom D A Q A R T A Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis
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