What happens to smoke from soldering?

[Circlotron]

So I am soldering away and there is smoke being produced from the flux. What happens to this smoke? Does it stay smoky or does it condense back into tiny specks of flux? Is it bad for your health to be exposed to this smoke?

[grumpydoc]

It is sucked into the component, where do you think the magic smoke comes from when things die? 

Being serious it will cool and condense and become part of the atmospheric particulate matter around you. Some will almost certainly settle out. Yes it is probably deleterious to your health to be exposed to a lot of soldering fumes but unless you have pre-existing respiratory disease you probably won't notice it as a hobbyist.

[timofonic]

It is sucked into the component, where do you think the magic smoke comes from when things die? 

Being serious it will cool and condense and become part of the atmospheric particulate matter around you. Some will almost certainly settle out. Yes it is probably deleterious to your health to be exposed to a lot of soldering fumes but unless you have pre-existing respiratory disease you probably won't notice it as a hobbyist.

But how's bad for your health? Are there some scientifically medical reason?

Does it accumulate in lungs? Does some of its chemical components pass to bloodstream and cause some kind of toxicity that can be too much if massive fingers are inhalated?

Is it common to get dizziness if inhalating  a moderate amount of flux fumes? It happened to me once day.

What about lead too?

Are there some article or essay about soldering and health with some kind of good explainings?

[GreyWoolfe]

Try this:
http://www.elexp.com/Images/Health_Hazards.PDF

[grumpydoc]

Try this:
http://www.elexp.com/Images/Health_Hazards.PDF

Or, indeed, just google it.

[timofonic]

Try this:
http://www.elexp.com/Images/Health_Hazards.PDF

Or, indeed, just google it.

I can do that, but the idea was some more experienced person that already knows about it would provide a reference to some reliable and good done article about that.

There's lots of shitty stuff, sometimes it takes too much time and certain knowledge to filter good stuff from massive crap.

Thanks a lot!

[grumpydoc]

I can do that, but the idea was some more experienced person that already knows about it would provide a reference to some reliable and good done article about that.

To be fair the forum is probably more interested in and experienced with the things at the business end of the soldering iron rather than the occupational health aspects of the process.

There's lots of shitty stuff, sometimes it takes too much time and certain knowledge to filter good stuff from massive crap.

Quite true, of course you need the skill to separate the two whenever you venture into google.

As a hobbyist I don't worry too much about it. Obviously I try not to actually breath the fumes. If you are doing a lot of work some sort of extraction system is likely to help and you will probably find some hints looking through old posts on here or using google.

[Deathwish]

As silly as it seems I ended up installing an old cooker hood over my old workbench years ago, gave me light and extraction with a pipe to the window.

[grumpydoc]

The leaded stuff gives me a headache pretty quickly. It's best avoided.

I wonder whether that's some difference in the flux.

Lead vapour during soldering is minimal and not generally considered a hazard.

There's a handy table for lead here.

[zapta]

The leaded stuff gives me a headache pretty quickly. It's best avoided.

People also say it about EMF.

[TheElectricChicken]

Does it stay smoky or does it condense back into tiny specks of flux? Is it bad for your health to be exposed to this smoke?

It never return to flux. You should use a computer fan and an old vacuum cleaner hose to send it outside from your desk.

Of course it is safe, same as DDT is safe and Roundup is safe
http://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/france-bans-sale-of-weedkiller-roundup-over-un-fears-it-may-be-carcinogenic/story-e6frflp0-1227399297482

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/21/roundup-cancer-who-glyphosate-

It's ALL Safe. You can always believe the company. Always. Yes sir !!!

[helius]

rosin flux is made from trees, and has similar chemicals to wood smoke. wood cooking fires are associated with dramatically higher rates of lung diseases like emphysema, but still most people aren't afraid of them.
Neurological effects like dizzyness are not common from this type of pollutant, but if you had an allergic reaction or simply didn't get enough oxygen it is possible. Much more concerning are some flux cleaners like trans-dichloroethylene or n-propyl bromide, which can cause nerve damage.
You might have gotten dizzy simply by sitting bent over for a long time and standing up quickly.

[G7PSK]

This is the HSE (Health and Safety Executive UK)  publication on the exposure to soldering fumes.http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg248.pdf

You could try the American Welding Society or the Welding Institute as they have published studies into the health effects of soldering and weld fumes.

[janengelbrecht]

Smoke from soldering are meant to go into your brain...sadly though now without lead.... 

[helius]

Welding fumes are much worse than soft soldering because the higher temperatures liberate substantial amounts of metal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_fume_fever

[ErikTheNorwegian]

just a reminder, we coverd these theme before. :-)

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/im-losing-two-good-friends-to-alzheimer-both-engineers/15/

[TheElectricChicken]

Something I really want everyone to remember because it is simple and might save them.

Many times you won't want to use a fan to clear the fumes, because you think the fan is too powerful and would cool the work, or even clear items from the desk. That happens when you point the fan at your workspace.



place the fan to face AWAY from your workspace, it will work 100% to clear fumes, but it doesn't interfere with your work.



Then it's easy to work safer and healthy when you wouldn't think you could, because the fan you have is too annoying to use. REMEMBER, remember silly pics, or whatever, but remember next time.

picture courtesy http://www.gutenberg.org/files/38036/38036-h/38036-h.htm

[GreyWoolfe]

I use a Weller fume extractor with regularly changed carbon filters.  At least in my head, it makes me feel better and I am not breathing the fumes.  Grumpydoc, I taught a soldering 101 class for my ham club not that long ago, and I actually did some research on this as I try to be as thorough as possible when teaching a subject.  I made sure that everyone understood that you aren't breathing lead fumes because lead may melt at 328C but it vaporizes 1750C and it is the flux fumes that are bad for the given reasons here..  Mojo, are you sure it's the lead and not the flux ingredients, just for the previous statements?  I don't solder a huge amount, but still use extraction because it is far better to be safe than sorry.  Fortunately, leaded solder fumes and EMF don't bother me, at least as far as I know.

[zapta]

I got recently the Hakko fan/filter. Very well made but noisy as hell. I ended up using a 4" (?) 12vdc fan that I run at 10v. It's quiet and I don't smell the fumes anymore. Yes, it is turned away from the board.

[TheElectricChicken]

 

[apis]

I built a box with a computer fan and cheap carbon solder fume filters from ebay. Not sure how effective it is but it got to be better sitting bent over the board inhaling the fumes...

You can get units like these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/220V-FA400-Portable-Solder-Smoke-Absorber-Air-Filter-Fume-Extractor-/231265710791?hash=item35d882b2c7
...and new filters from ebay. They are not very expensive so probably makes more sense to buy one, but I haven't tested one so can't vouch for it.

Funnelling the fumes out a window is probably the best option but that's not possible for me.

[GreyWoolfe]

You can get units like these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/220V-FA400-Portable-Solder-Smoke-Absorber-Air-Filter-Fume-Extractor-/231265710791?hash=item35d882b2c7
...and new filters from ebay. They are not very expensive so probably makes more sense to buy one, but I haven't tested one so can't vouch for it.

Just realize that for this price, this is a fake.

[apis]

Just realize that for this price, this is a fake.

You may be right, but as long as it suck fumes through the filter it should be better than nothing!

[GreyWoolfe]

Just realize that for this price, this is a fake.

You may be right, but as long as it suck fumes through the filter it should be better than nothing!

  if it does

[TheElectricChicken]

Just realize that for this price, this is a fake.