Does anyone know for reals? Is it like leaded gasoline; the more you use it, the less it seems to matter? /s
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.
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.
note this is good normally but terrible advice if you have ocd. idk what everyone else’s experience is like but i got so obsessive over handwashing that my skin started to slough off of my hands from how frequently i began to do it. turns out that what constitutes an activity versus a moment is really hard to tell when you’re mentally ill af. no good.
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.
Only lick the soldering iron when it’s turned on. That way, the ouchies from the heat cancel out the ouchies from the lead poisoning. Trust me, I’m an expert at licking things other people say shouldn’t be licked
Only lick the soldering iron when it’s turned on.
Hey siri, how do I arouse a soldering iron?
Its negligible and its elemental lead which isn’t very reactive at all.
Metallic lead is reasonably safe to touch. Its lead fumes and micro particles getting in ur bloodstream through ur lungs or ingesting it that is the worry.
So, if you’d like a little education on why the comment you replied isn’t nearly as dramatic as you’ve made it out to be, pull up a chair. Both lead and mercury are pretty damn safe to handle as metals in your hand. Getting inside your body is where it becomes a problem, where it’s able to form different, body-soluble compounds and become toxic. Your skin is constantly pushing itself out, so lead residue on your hands isn’t going to have a route inside unless you have cuts or lick your fingers. And even then, the lifetime accumulation is really insignificant with this method for non-occupational handling.
Vapors are the immediate cause of concern for OP. Ingestion (eating lead paint, eating food that has ingested/leeched in lead) is where it becomes dangerous faster. If OP is diligently washing their hands but huffing all the fumes, the cleaning is entirely in vain. So yes, that’s why it’s important to make the above distinction in regards to Scenario A being nothing compared to B, C, or D: treating for A is worthless if the other 3 aren’t considered.
