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[TowerTalk] Health Studies, electronic workers

To: Martin Ewing - AA6E <aa6e@ewing.homedns.org>,'Tower Talk List' <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] Health Studies, electronic workers
From: Pat Barthelow <aa6eg@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2007 14:30:16 -0800
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Does anyone know of actual Medical  studies done on people in the electronics 
industry who handle lead bearing solder  over a period of years?  For some 
years, back in the olden days,  I worked in  both Q/A and  production of a 
sensor  manufacturer.  Proibably hand soldered 300,000 or more through hole 
componnent-pcb connections.  The Old fashioned way.  Under a lamp, with a 
Panavise, Weller WTCPN, and a handful of thin guage Ersin Multi or Kester 60-40 
solder, constanty broken off a nearby 1 lb spool. (Spools used to be around 
$10.... not any more! )   The solder was held and fed through my index finger 
and thumb, mostly, and, at the end of the day, you culd see darkened skin on 
thumb and forefinger, seemingly minute lead deposits right where the solder was 
held.   It even tingled a bit, or felt different where the lead solder was fed 
through the fingers.  I washed hands at the end of the day, or more often.    
Also, back then, we did not even use fans to divert the rosin sm
 oke from our noses while at work.  I wonder if any measureable lead could be 
found in ones bloodstream who did that kind of work.  Also is there any lead 
compounds likely to be wafting up with the rosin smoke?   Any medical research 
actually been done on techs from the oldend days?
  

All the Best, 73,
Pat Barthelow     aa6eg@hotmail.com
http://www.jamesburgdish.org
Subscribe: http://bambi.net/jamesburg.html
Jamesburg Earth Station  Moon Bounce Team

> Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2007 15:48:25 -0500
> From: aa6e@ewing.homedns.org
> To: towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] DIN Connectors You Can't Solder To
> 
> "Reduction of Hazardous Substances" (RoHS) is a European initiative 
> which requires manufacturers to use non-lead-bearing solder for 
> commercial electronics devices, among other practices.  You have to 
> follow these rules if you want to sell in EU -- in practice, the world 
> electronics business is following suit.
> 
> See 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restriction_of_Hazardous_Substances_Directive
> 
> The rules don't apply to hobbyists, but most of the stuff we will buy 
> will be RoHS compliant.  In practice, this means that soldering is 
> trickier because you have to use higher temperature solders.
> 
> On the other hand, we might all preserve our mental faculties a little 
> longer! (One of the symptoms of Pb poisoning is reduced IQ.)
> 
> 73 Martin AA6E
> 
> David Robbins K1TTT wrote:
> > First, what is RoHS???
> > 
> > Most likely they are plated with chrome.  I would take some fine sandpaper
> > and scratch the plating of the top of the pins, that at least gives a little
> > area to tack onto.  If the pins have a hollow on the back like most of them
> > find a drill or jeweler's file that fits in there and scrape out the plating
> > also.  This also works for chrome plated pl-259's since most all of these
> > types of things are just plated brass.
> > 
> > David Robbins K1TTT
> > e-mail: mailto:k1ttt@arrl.net
> > web: http://www.k1ttt.net
> > AR-Cluster node: 145.69MHz or telnet://dxc.k1ttt.net
> >  
> _______________________________________________
> 
> 
> 
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