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Health Effects of Soldering

Health Effects of Soldering. W. Smith Chandler, MD, MPH, MS. Toxicology. All substances are poisons. There is none which is not a poison. The right dose distinguishes a poison from a remedy. Paracelsus. Dose-Response. Low Dose Exposures. Subtle effects ignored IQ Personality

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Health Effects of Soldering

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  1. Health Effects of Soldering W. Smith Chandler, MD, MPH, MS

  2. Toxicology All substances are poisons. There is none which is not a poison. The right dose distinguishes a poison from a remedy. Paracelsus

  3. Dose-Response

  4. Low Dose Exposures • Subtle effects ignored • IQ • Personality • Reproductive • Latency periods complicate cause-effect • “No evidence of an effect” • ALARA

  5. Solder • Lead • Cadmium • Tin • Bismuth • Silver • Antimony

  6. Lead • Ben Franklin • Fetoprotection • Half-life in blood, one month; bone, 27 years

  7. Lead Levels • PbB units-micrograms/dl • 50-medical removal • 30-adult symptoms • 10-pediatric standard • JLab-all below 10 • Marker for other exposures

  8. Lead Toxicity • Can affect most organs • Developing nervous system has no clear NOEL for IQ • Adult nervous system • Psychological effects: reduced memory & slowed responses at PbB 20-40 • Wrist and foot drop at higher levels

  9. Lead Toxicity, cont. • Anemia • Reduced kidney function • Hypertension with no clear NOEL • Reproductive effects in both sexes • Reduced immune function • Studied at levels of 20-85 • Increased colds & flu; reduced IgA

  10. Cadmium • Itai Itai disease • Carcinogenic • Reduced brain function and intelligence • Irreversible kidney damage in solderers • Reduced lung function • Testicular damage in animal studies

  11. Other Solder Metals • Tin: overexposure to inorganic is “stannosis” & involves lung irritation • Silver: argyria, argyrosis, possible kidney effects • Antimony: numerous effects with uncertain dose-response including GI irritation and possible cancer • Bismuth: Pepto-bismol, tellurium breath

  12. Flux and Defluxers • Terpenes: taxol, menthol • Halogenated solvents: CNS depression (anesthetic gases), liver & kidney damage • Trichloroethylene • Trichloroethane (methyl chloroform) • Fluorides: toothpaste • Chlorides: irritants

  13. Summary • Numerous important toxicants • Dose-response relationships are inconsistent • Long term effects are nebulous • Practice ALARA

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