I don't do much soldering. I have this really old spool of .031" resin core solder and I wonder if I should get rid of it. On one hand, I'm probably breathing lead fumes. But on the other hand, leaded solder works better, right?
[OP]
Contributor
I don't do much soldering. I have this really old spool of .031" resin core solder and I wonder if I should get rid of it. On one hand, I'm probably breathing lead fumes. But on the other hand, leaded solder works better, right?
Contributor
Keep it. you are not breathing "lead fumes" unless you are using it. if you are concerned, put it in a plastic bag. it does work better.
[OP]
Contributor
I was talking about the vapors coming off when I solder something. For some reason the smoke always drifts towards me.
Member
Use a gentle fan next time to blow away from you.
Member
I take it lead solder is no longer used?! Well, I have a 100 year supply; I'll change when I use it up.
Contributor
Same here, I have solder that is older than some of my children and it still works fine for the occasional soldering job.
Besides, if you toss it you should take it to a hazardous waste facility or a recycler.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Just don't use it on any water line repairs.
Lee Schierer
USNA '71
Go Navy!
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Contributor
If you'd rather get rid of it, most areas have special waste drop-off through the year when you can drop off items like this. Check w/ your local company.
Mac
Contributor
Keep it. Use a small fan. Don't worry about it.
Never, under any circumstances, consume a laxative and sleeping pill, on the same night
Sell it overseas to toy manufacturers.
Contributor
Lead in solder is actually not a health concern, because it's generally being used by adults, who don't absorb lead as easily as children do. Additionally, the smoke doesn't contain lead, as the soldering temperature is nowhere near high enough to vaporize lead. I don't know the exact number, but I've heard that the average adult would have to eat, like, pounds of lead solder to suffer any serious health effects.
The problem with lead solder is that when the electronics are discarded, they get landfilled and the lead easily leaches into water and contaminates it.
That said, it flows much better than lead-free solders, so most people still use it for prototyping, and most circuit assembly shops maintain "leaded" and "lead-free" soldering lines.
Member
Lead IS a health concern to adults. It is a cumulative toxin as your body puts it in your bones displacing calcium and you get weak bones etc. Children are much more readily affected in other ways as well but a major source of their lead is from adults who get contaminated and don't clean up properly before going home or after hobby work. Please read up on this before offering opinions. Look up the OSHA website or lead.org or whatever and you will find out more. Why do you think our governments are spending so much money removing lead from infrastructure? And no, this is not just another opinion, among other experience I am a Responsible Manager of Lead Removal with many such projects and their consequences behind me.Cheers
Contributor
A little lead with that salad?
vinegar.jpg
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ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
FOUR - CO2 lasers
THREE- make that FOUR now- fiber lasers
ONE - vinyl cutter
CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle
Member
Do they sell any of this?! Cheers
Contributor
You can still buy leaded solder- it is only "outlawed" for use in drinking water supply lines. There are safe ways to use it - if you just keep it around for occasional needs (versus using it for making stained glass windows or high-quantity production) you aren't likely to be exposed to much lead at all. There are some general things to remember when working with lead (including lead painted items you're repairing/ restoring/ stripping):
*Know the right terms; metals make fumes when burnt, which are clouds of tiny respirable droplets of the metal. There is no such thing as gasoline fumes (those are vapors). the distinction is important when shopping for respirators.
*A soldering iron won't make lead fumes unless it's got extreme heat capability; lead produces fumes at 840F (450C) and most soldering is done at a much lower heat. Torches and older (pre-regulation) heat stripping guns will DEFINITELY burn lead and produce fumes if used improperly.
*If you're making dust/ fumes, wear a good-fitting HEPA respirator (can be a cheap, simple N95 in the U.S. if it's a short-term job)
*resin-core soldering with an iron isn't likely to produce lead fumes BUT it does produce potentially hazardous vapors from the resin and it also produces lead oxides and other metal oxides from whatever is mixed in the solder - so as stated use a small fan to blow the vapors away and/ or a respirator and either wear gloves or wash your hands after using it.
For most of us living in "modern" conditions, we are exposed to small amounts of all kinds of toxins on a regular basis. You should control any known exposures you can, because there are plenty you don't know about. These precautions above may seem a bit much for a little bit of solder- I am sure most of us could eat a couple of inches of solder and we'd be just fine- but it does take the body a very long time to shed heavy metals without medical assistance, so an accumulated load from other activities could build up to be a problem. Maybe you can live with a little memory loss, but lead poisoning in adults can also cause... sexual dysfunction.
yeah, sorry - my day job is safety and industrial hygiene (30 years).
solder away,
Karl
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