Does anyone know for reals? Is it like leaded gasoline; the more you use it, the less it seems to matter? /s
Here’s the relevant safety guides from Stanford and MIT.
In short, if you do a lot of soldering, there are long-term occupational hazards from both lead oxides and rosin. Both guides agree that the main hazards are the fumes (workstation should have a fume extractor or suitable filter) and residue on your hands (wash hands with soap and water before eating).
I couldn’t find any numbers on how much material is removed by washing, but every reference emphasized that soap and water are vitally important.
Nearly every activity should be preceded by and followed by a good handwashing. Keeps you well.
Lots of conjecture and misunderstanding in the other comments. Thanks for posting actual sources.
I’m not about the percentage, but due to lead’s toxicity it is probably more important to avoid touching or breathing in funes from lead soldier as much as possible. Beyond that wearing proper gloves and masks to avoid inhaling fumes will be safer than touching it and trying to wash it off.
Whatever other steps you take, stop licking the soldering iron.
The fumes are from the flux, if you’re evaporating lead your iron is a few thousand degrees too high.
Still shouldn’t breathe that, but that’s also true for lead-free solder
Its negligible and its elemental lead which isn’t very reactive at all.
You need to be way more concerned with the fumes than the little bit that may be left on your hands after washing. The amount on your hands after a thorough washing is negligible.
Is there any reason people still use lead solder? I mean… I use silver for jewelry soldering and I know silver and copper can both easily work well for electronics , so in what application is lead necessary?
Because its lovely to work with compared to ROHS solder, and if you’re just a hobbyist, its not an appreciable risk.
It’s not necessary in most cases, but it has advantages. Namely, it’s easier to work with and melts at lower temperatures (less risk of damaging components and burning yourself). Also, while lead has its risks, they’re easy enough to mitigate.
Lead-based solder is preferred for high-reliability electronics (space, nuclear, military, etc.) because it’s easier to rework, easier to verify by visual inspection, and it’s not vulnerable to tin whiskers.
Avoid and mitigate fumes. Buy a jug of D-Lead hand soap and laundry detergent and use it. Get regular blood tests for lead levels.
If you have or are regularly around small children, you need to be extremely diligent about the above. That goes for all you idiots obsessed with guns as well. Primers use lead styphnate and create lead vapor everytime you fire. Worse with rifles because your face/body is closer to the expelled gases. Aside from breathing it in, you’re also getting a nice patina of lead residue on your arms, shirt, face, hair, etc. You’re also likely tracking in lead residue from your shoes into your home. If you like to hug your kids or your kids play on the floor, guess what.
Do NOT fuck with lead. There’s no safe level of exposure, and it can be devastating to the developing brains of children.
