I never thought of this… lead exposure…

Couldn't agree more with all of you guys, the switch to lead free takes some adjustments but once you got used to it, it is impossible to go back. A bit more heat and pre heating but it just feels like the right thing to do for no. I use the stannol kristall 611 which is fairly easy to find in europe
 
Lead or not, I wear gloves when soldering / handling solder, and I still wash my hands when I'm done.

If it was a "big" soldering day (hours) then I usually take a shower and change clothes afterwards as well.

Switching to lead-free is great but it shouldn't give a false sense of security... it's still toxic, it's just not lead.
 
Lead or not, I wear gloves when soldering / handling solder, and I still wash my hands when I'm done.

I was just thinking about gloves the other day after then 12th hand washing of the day 😂

Do you use basic disposable nitrile gloves or do you need something ESD safe?
 
Lead or not, I wear gloves when soldering / handling solder, and I still wash my hands when I'm done.

If it was a "big" soldering day (hours) then I usually take a shower and change clothes afterwards as well.

Switching to lead-free is great but it shouldn't give a false sense of security... it's still toxic, it's just not lead.
True, but it'snot the metals (as they don't burn at soldering temperates). It's the junk that comes from heated flux, which contains... Well, that's everyone's guess. 😅
 
I had to see my doctor today so I asked her about this. She said not to worry because (a) lead fumes are not an issue when soldering as the lead doesn't get hot enough and (b) hand washing is the key. She said the only way it would be a problem is if I started licking the solder. For me this is unlikely, no matter how good solder tastes.

Believe it or not lead was once used in some places as a sweetener. Explains why lead paint used to be a problem - apparently kids used to lick it!

We're probably more likely to be poisoned by heavy metals in fish. Mercury and lead have been known to be released as waste products into waterways and end up in fish. That's why shark isn't recommended to be eaten in some parts of the world. As apex predator it ends up with the highest levels of heavy metals in its system. Which is a shame because shark is delicious. It used to be sold in Aussie fish and chip shops as "flake".
 
I use this stuff to wash my hands after handling anything at my workbench. I learned about it because one of the ranges where I used to shoot a lot had it in their bathrooms. I'll wash my hands up to my elbows with this stuff then wash again with regular soap.
It's my little ritual before plugging in the pedal I just built and hoping it works...... :p

1779797104863.png
 
Back
Top