Anyone have issue breathing the fumes of soldering?

[Alan0354]

I am having issue with the fumes of the solder. It must be the age. I start coughing more after smelling the solder smoke. It really got worst after I built my KMD amp as I was doing intense soldering for a few days. I have been soldering for years at work and never have problem. Maybe it's ventilation at home or maybe is my age. Anyone have problem like this? I am going to see a doctor, but I am sure it's the fumes.

I put a fan in the room and even wearing mask. I still end up having to hold my breath when soldering particular when tinning and melting new solder.

Any advice?

[potatofarmer]

My guess is it'd be mostly the flux. The vapor pressure of tin/lead at soldering temperatures for the length of time that it's molten seems like it'd be inconsequential.

A fan just pushes air and smoke around. A dust mask isn't going to keep organics from going through. You'd want an exhaust hood of some sort. You could probably put it together yourself fairly easily, just test it with an extinguished match or a stick of incense. If you can see the smoke getting pulled towards your vent, you're in good shape.

If the sensitivity's gotten bad enough, you might even want to (or have to) wear a respirator. Persistent low-dose exposure to an irritant is how you create allergies. I remember one paper where the researches made lab rabbits allergic to TNT. I don't exactly remember why...

Hm, I was thinking you'd need to vent to open air, but it seems there are commercial products which just use HEPA filters. Probably even easier to rig up yourself that way: a squirrel cage fan, some plexi, a vacuum cleaner 99.97% HEPA filter, and some silicone caulk to hold it together. Or google "solder fume extractor" : Soldering Fume Extractors for Smoke & Solder Fumes - ESD Safe

More info: HEALTH HAZARDS FROM INHALING AND EXPOSURE TO SOLDERING FUMES (from Weller) http://www.digikey.com/Web%20Export/...F?redirected=1

[Jazz P Bass]

I use one of these fume extractors.
Weller WSA350 ESD-Safe Benchtop Fume Absorber & Filter
It catches the gunk in a filter.

It's not perfect but it is better than using nothing or blowing it around the shop to breath later.

[g1]

Deal with the problem now, do not ignore it!
My lungs are shot. I smoked for 30+ years, quit 2 yrs ago but it was too late. The lung specialist told me even for having smoked for so long, that did not account for the amount of damage to my lungs.
The only thing I can think is that the extra fumes from 20+ yrs of soldering made it so much worse.

Even a filter will help, if you can't exhaust the air outside. Here are links with some fairly inexpensive filter type fume extactors, and some do it yourself type homemade units. (P.S. different type/brands of solder may have better or worse flux, see if there are some that bother you less)

http://www.amazon.com/Fume-and-Smoke...&node=13837311

Soldering Fume Extractor | MAKE

How To Build a Solder Fume Extractor

[big_teee]

I solder in my shop, not in my house.
I have a ceiling fan and a side fan to disperse the smoke, in the shop.
While I'm soldering I can watch the smoke leave the area.
In a house you would want some kind of smoke collector, I think.
I am 65 YO, soldered in phone offices all my career and countless projects.
I still have good lungs and breath, but never smoked.
Also don't forget harmful chemicals, like carbontet, Trichlors, paint thinners, lacquers, glues and the likes.
They all harm your lungs too.
T

[R.G.]

It's the flux. Even rosin flux is a lung irritant. As Paul(?) mentioned, at soldering temps, there is vanishingly small tin and lead boiling off into the air.

It's worse if you get sensitized to it as an allergen. Some people do, some don't. If you're soldering every day, worry about getting better ventilation. That's many times better than trying to filter fumes out.

[John_H]

What type of solder are you using? 63/37 has a low melting point. The fumes aren't as bad.

[Alan0354]

Anyone have this, it's cheap and got good review.

http://www.amazon.com/Aoyue-Benchtop...cm_cr_dpwidget

[Alan0354]

What type of solder are you using? 63/37 has a low melting point. The fumes aren't as bad.

Can you give me a link. Ha ha, I never buy solder before and don't know anything about solder. I never have to worry about buying solder, company away have plenty on stock. The roll I have is a huge roll from 30 years back from work, label is all faded. I am still using the roll and is running out. I only started doing home projects two years ago, hardly do any soldering at home when I was working.

[pdf64]

Also consider rosin (aka colophony) free solder http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/90415.pdf

[PeanutNore]

Prolonged exposure to rosin fumes released during soldering can cause occupational asthma (formerly called colophony disease[11] in this context) in sensitive individuals, although it is not known which component of the fumes causes the problem.

From the wikipedia article on rosin at Rosin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sounds like you need some rosin-free solder. You'll want to make sure it still contains some kind of flux, just not rosin. I think the main types are rosin flux and acid flux.

[Alan0354]

I am going to buy the bench filter. I have one of the 3M respirator very similar to this.3M Tekk Paint Project Respirator, Medium, P95 - Papr Safety Respirators - Amazon.com. I use it in construction projects, is this good enough?

I am planning to use both the respirator and the bench filter. I don't like the rosin free, I hate cold solder!!!

If anyone have suggestion of respirator, I am interested in one.

[big_teee]

I like Kester 44 Solders, and I guess It has rosin.
Just used better ventilation like mentioned below.
I either use the 63/37, or 60/40.
I used a ton of the 60/40s in my phone office work.

[pdf64]

'I don't like the rosin free, I hate cold solder'
Does anyone?
Are you sure that you tried a modern, rosin free solder (as per the previously linked product)?
Note that I referring to flux cored solders, not a unfluxed solder.
Pete

[Alan0354]

'I don't like the rosin free, I hate cold solder'
Does anyone?
Are you sure that you tried a modern, rosin free solder (as per the previously linked product)?
Note that I referring to flux cored solders, not a unfluxed solder.
Pete

I don't see the link. Can you give me link to the solder you have in mind, as I said before, I don't know solder, never have to buy any before because companies always have abundance around.