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soldering dangers?

0

0ctinium

Weaksauce
Joined
Sep 10, 2002
Messages
106
from time to time soldering is neccesary in order to fix something, as im sure all of you know. my problem is recently ive been dealing with solder alot and started becoming concerned about the hazards of doing it indoors without ventilation.

when i solder i do use a fan but i still inhail alot of the fumes because i can smell it when i breathe. this is a pretty serious issue so i ask if you respond to know what you're talking about (not that i think you wont) because it will directly put my health at risk.

the type of solder i use is from RadioShack, it is .032 diameter / 2.5 oz 60/40 Light Duty Rosin-Core Solder

the warnings on the back of the spool are insane and while im sure everything it says is true, ive known people that sat in a basement and soldered sound systems for hours at a time and 10 years later are still in perfect health. i searched online but i found conflicting opinions all over.
 
well if it concerns you that you might be breathing hazardous fumes, why not just get a gas mask of some sort that filters what you breath. that way you wont inhale anything bad. only way you will probably be sure to stay healthy from it. Btw, i dont know anything about these fumes, but i work at a doctors office, and the doctor reccommended to just wear a mask that filters out the fumes. good luck
 
i considered a mask while working and i already do use one of those white doctor masks. when i went to home depot i saw one of those heavy duty breathing units (the ones you use when you spray paint cars etc) and they run $100 with the filters costing at least $50 a replacement. when you say mask which do you mean? and im assuming you solder often so...what are your experiences with using that type of prevention?
 
no i was stating that i dont know specifically what fumes you may be dealing with. im at work which happens to be a small medical clinic of 3 doctors. i just ran the question by them and he stated to use the big filter mask. both doctors agreed that you should be able to buy a filter that would work fine against those fumes. said thats the best prevention you can have, and would make sure that you dont contract anything hazardous. Those doctor masks dont filter nearly as well as the bigger masks.

edit: btw i dont solder too often, but i have delt with in some. i think the fumes smell good so i dont wear masks. maybe i should?:confused:
 
burning 1s digits:eek:

But if you are really concerned 3m makes a fibre type mask that will filter out the poisons.
 
oh ok thats what i figured you meant spear, but i just wanted to be sure. thanks alot for the info, and at least i know using the doctors mask is useless. something else that crossed my mind is the solder itself. if it doesnt contain any lead are the fumes still dangerous? secondly will using non lead based solder ruin my electrical contacts or make them useless/less effective?



(and i hope for both our sakes i find out if it poses health risks :D)
 
They do make a product called a fume extractor for this exact situation specifically for solder.
 
Soldering fumes probably do contain trace amounts of lead. Pretty much all electronics solder has lead. Plumbers solder doesn't(because you don't want lead on water feed lines), but it is designed for use with propane torches and copper pipes. I try not to breath in the fumes. A lot of times I will blow while I am soldering so that kinda blows the fumes away from me. If you solder a lot, then look into fume extractors. It is basically just a box that you put next to where you are working and it will suck the fumes into it and basically trap whatever it is in a filter. I found this little deal, but I'm not sure if an active carbon filter would be sufficient to take care of the lead or whatever else is in the soldering fumes. Best thing may be just to open a window and get a nice breeze going to suck the fumes outside.
 
The thing about solde fumes containing lead is a myth. Fr this, the lead in the solder would have to get above its boiling point, at which the soldering iron would have melted thru its grip and set the table on fire. No way.

An active Carbon filter is sufficient for removing solder fumes. I mean, they use that stuff to get Mustard Gas out of the air soldiers breathe, so yeah, solder fumes should be okay.
 
Originally posted by Little Grabbi
An active Carbon filter is sufficient for removing solder fumes. I mean, they use that stuff to get Mustard Gas out of the air soldiers breathe, so yeah, solder fumes should be okay.
Click to expand...

Mustard Gas is easily removed by peeing on a towel and breathing through it. So in effect, I could pee my pants and stick my head up my ass to protect from the fumes? :p

To be honest, I never really thought about it and just blew my nose to rid the fumes from my sense of smell.
 
Yes, you remove about 85% of what is in the air you breathe. If you die from lung swelling, it'll only take longer that way. If not, hello plaque-like pustules and huge scars that stay a lifetime *g*

I mean, the ammonia does help, but I work in Decon, I know it doesn't help enough.
 
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