Soldering and pregnancy

[DaveTV]

Hey everybody. My fiancee and I are expecting a baby in the summer and I'm concerned about the effects my soldering might have on the pregnancy.

At the moment we share a small apartment and I do most of my pedal building in a room that doubles as our office. I usually solder when she's not around and I try to keep the place as well ventilated as possible. I also don't solder that often--maybe a few times a month.

I guess I'd like to know the degree of hazard I'm dealing with when I solder at home. I know that solder contains toxins that can be very harmful to pregnant women, particularly lead, so I was wondering how concerned I should be about continuing this at home.

My one option is to solder at work, perhaps on the weekends. Not nearly as convenient, but I don't want to take any chances with the pregnancy.

[Oliver]

Hello,

if You keep the Room ventilated and perhaps open a Windows while or after You solder Your circuits and You use the time, when she's not at home - and You only work some times a month, i think it will not be
dangerous at all.

I think it will be dangerous, if You would solder the whole day permanetly
at big circuits and wount let in fresh air.

BEST WICHES for a healthy child!!!

bye
Oliver

[DaveTV]

Thanks for the kind words, Oliver. I'm discovering a whole new aspect of my personality with this pregnancy...paranoia.

[David]

Dave:

Check out the solder types that don't use lead.  Maybe that's the ticket.  Otherwise, if the weather permits, try soldering by an open window with a fan nearby that exhausts the solder fumes out the window.

[BillyJ]

Dude I say take it to work.
I can't even begin to explain the nerves I had when we were expecting. One less thing for you to worry about and you'll have plenty!!!
I don't want to be a goddie two shoes but it's a big deal to prepare for a child to come into this world. Maybe I am over protective and paranoid too but it is know to be harmful especially to the younger of us. I thinkt he younger the more susceptable they are.
I think you'll be doing yourself a favor by trying to get it out of the home.
Maybe I'm being lame but always better safe than sorry.
Congratulations your in for the very best thing you'll ever do in your life without exception. Being 'dad' is the very very BEST!
Gotta go play... :O)

[petemoore]

The spats get on your hands, the fumes collect on any surfaces...
 Sorry, I don't know enough to tell you everything, but heavy mettals interfere with numerous cell functions,,,your paranoia is probably just, as there may be some real danger there...I haven't heard of a soldering product that is considered completely 'safe' whatever safe 'is' these days...they upped the allowable/acceptable PPM of lead in our drinking water...either our 'immunity' to lead [lol] has increased, or they simply can't get the lead levels low enough in the tap water to meet the old standard [obviously that's it]...I don't go for it...I use filters...

[DaveTV]

Thanks, BillyJ. I think doing it at work will certainly ease my mind a bit. It helps that I work in a biology laboratory with lots of open bench space--we even have fume hoods if I want to be REALLY anal. I might get a few odd stares if other folks are around.

Of course my main concern now is whether or not I've already exposed her to dangerous levels of lead, etc. Perhaps I should call OSHA or something. Do you think my apartment might qualify as a SuperFund site?

[Elektrojänis]

At least remember to wash your hands carefully after soldering. It's a good thing to do anyway and especially before touching any food. This is probably obvious but I think no harm is done by saying it.

[Triffid]

:idea:  Note to self... don't eat my soder

[BillyJ]

I do not think you have exposed her to any dangerous levels but I am in no way any expert on it. I would talk to your doctor about it.
I don't think you need to worry about it too much, I certainly hope not. If that level of exposure is could be that harmful I think I would be done with electronics (or at least solder) for good.
I am sure you have other things that be of much more importance to worry about. But your head and heart is in the right place I think.
Do talk to your doctor about it. If there is reason for a lot of concern about it they will be the ones to really know.
Happy thoughts for you and yours.

[onboard]

Congratulations, Dad! I think the safest bet is talking to doctor, as seems to be the concensus.

Thing is, the whole subject of just how dangerous solder fumes are (specifically in what concentration and for how long) is probably a murky subject at best with most DIYers, myself included. No doubt we all know lead poisoning is not a good thing, but I'm recalling a thread not to long ago about ventilating a soldering work station (or not...) where someone mentioned the ole' IQ points dropping hopelessly away with no other visable symptoms, effects on the central nervous system as a whole notwithstanding. Second-hand effects? I have no clue.

Maybe point of work extraction is the answer, a tube to sniff the fumes right off the iron tip and vent them straight out of the room. I have yet to find a suitable rig for this myself, whether to use vacuum or the right impeller. I wouldn't say a fume hood is anal at all. Why breath *any* of the stuff?

Anyway, best of everything!!!

[Peter Snowberg]

Congratulations Dave!

I doubt you have anything to worry about with any occasional soldering, but this is an instance where paranoia is supreme for a very good reason.

Wash your hands, use positive ventilation, don't eat and work at the same time, and you and your family should be just fine.

Working outdoors is best, but that's not too practical right now. I was getting soaked in North Beach yesterday.

Just as dangerous as the heavy metals are the flux fumes. Nobody should breath any of it, but in comparison to places where they still use leaded gasoline, we have nothing to worry about.

Take care and all the best!!!!

-Peter

[DaveTV]

Thanks for all the kind words everybody. So far it's been a pretty exciting experience. We're both really thrilled about becoming parents.

And thanks for the reassurance. She had some blood drawn yesterday for some tests, and I may still ask to see if they can add a test for lead, just to be sure.

Ultimately, I don't want to take any chances. I don't really have an appropriate space for building pedals at home, so I may need to do the toxic stuff elsewhere.

[brett]

She had some blood drawn yesterday for some tests, and I may still ask to see if they can add a test for lead, just to be sure.

That's a very good idea.  A few years ago I has a test.  The doctor was a real a***hole, implying I was being paranoid.  Anyway, the test came back at 7 (ug/L ??) and the suggested limit was 20, so at least I found out that I was a "little bit" contaminated, but not too bad.

Having the test and getting solid information was a lot better than imagining what might or might not be happening.

[Oliver]

Thanks for the kind words, Oliver. I'm discovering a whole new aspect of my personality with this pregnancy...paranoia.

Hi,

as you will see, when the new human is discovering the world, everything
will change..
The whole Life will rotate 180 °...
I have two of those little boys (2,5 and 6,5 yeas old and rising)
Its hard sometimes (very few privacy left), but you earn so much from
a growing child.
And its cool - if you play your Guitar sometimes during the pregnancy, Your Child will remember later and like to hear you Playing.

One day my smallest son was crying and crying and it was very nerving, because he wouldnd stop - nothing could budge him to stop crying.
I thought some music will help him to calm down. So i played a CD from
"Eros Ramazzoti" .... but he cried on!!!
So i decided to play an Album from JimiHendrix to calm down for myself.
When i have to hear this crying and cant do anything to get him quiet, i
want to hear my music.
As the first notes from "StoneFree" floated the LivingRoom, he began to smile and seesaw in time with the beat...

:lol:  that was so funny!!

bye Oliver

[Oliver]

Hi once more..

its normal to apply a little bit paranoia, in such a situation..
But i dont think that you have to clean the whole world after
soldering for an hour.
It is naturally to clean hands and perhapt the Table You worked on.

There are so many soilings from outside in the air (emissions from
cars, houses and factories) that we breathe every day, every hour, every second. And the air accumulates the soils all over You, Your adjustments
and even Your Child too...

Remember Yourself as You where small - did You grow up into an oxygen tent? You didn't - right? And You feel healthy today, dont You?
So calm down and tell Your intended child some storys (it will hear You)

Will You present at the childbirth? (its a radical experience!!! never miss it)

I dont want to play down the carefulness!!!
Its important to take care, where it make sense..

bye
Oliver

When Your Child grows up, take care of things, that look like something eatable... My son looked at some perfboardpieces and talked about
cookies. In the next moment he grabbed one piece and bited into it.
The face he made let me know, that he was disgusted from the taste of
that cookie  :lol:  :lol:  and he spitted it to the floor. (next Time he
saw me working on my perfborads he said: daddy - cookie - dont taste good - bah!)

[Luke]

Hi,
Firstly, congratulations on the baby! I think you and your fiance will be fine, but its definately a good idea to get the test done- its one less thing to worry about. About 2 years ago, I got sick, and had the symptoms of Hep C. I am not a drug user, but I have tattoos. Even though the tattoo parlours I had been too all used new needles and autoclave sterilization, I still decided to have a blood test. It was clear (turns out I had a REALLY bad flu infection- influenza B - the one that lasts for about 4 months), but it was DEFINATELY a relief to know I was in the clear, even though I thought it would have been HIGHLY remote that I would have caught Hep C.
If I were you, I would have the test, and set your mind at ease.
Take care,
Cheers,
Luke