[0xmarcin]

I think they selling point is that you do not have to solder. Soldering is not for everyone: you need expensive equipment, soldering in an appartment without proper ventilation is quite harmful to your health, young kids should not solder.

I used breadboard to play with electronics during winter in my small appartment at that time. No troubles with fumes, no need to buy expensive soldering station, no need to safely get rid of tin with lead. This was a good way to start, now I own a soldering station but now I also know that I need it about 2 or 3 a month.

[baz00]

You’re overstating the risks.

Respiratory risks of solder aware minimal, particularly ironically the leaded variety. If you’re worried solder with the window open or get an extractor. I haven’t needed either in the last 40 odd years.

The lead itself is harmless unless you ingest lots of it. Wash your hands. That is all you need to do. Take it to the WEEE bin or waste disposal if you discard it.

I learned to solder when I was 8. My kids when they were 10. It’s fine. I built my first amateur radio transceiver when I was 12!

Soldering kit is cheap. Even decent metcal stuff can be had for virtually nothing if you shop around.

[VilleOr]

> Rosin-based solder flux fume is now regarded as one of the most significant causes of occupational asthma in Britain.

Source: https://www.hse.gov.uk/lung-disease/electronics-soldering.ht...

Children are up to five times more likely to get lead in their bodies, so under no circumstances should children get leaded tin in their hands.

It is possible to get lead poisoning through the skin even as an adult if lead is handled daily. Fortunately, nowadays lead-free tin is used, but I know that some hobbyists still have a lot of lead in their stores.

[JohnFen]

Occupational exposure is a lot different than home exposure. People soldering on the job are doing so for hours a day, every day. You soldering as a hobby are not.

The dose makes the poison.

Of course, nothing is completely without risk, and an argument can be made that avoiding any avoidable risk is good, even if that risk is tiny. But the risk that comes from the fumes of soldering, unless you're doing it a whole lot, are much, much smaller than lots of risks you take every day without worry.

Everyone has a different risk tolerance. For instance, I intentionally use leaded solder because it works so much better than the lead-free varieties. But I'm cautious to avoid handling the stuff if I have any open wounds on my hands, and to avoid touching my face until I've washed my hands. That's an acceptable risk for me.

[Teever]

Your source isn't much of a source. It doesn't point to any studies that provide data that show that solderin is one of the leading causes of asthma.

[pjc50]

Pity, I rather like the smell of that stuff.

If you're worried about lead just use RoHS solder?

[JohnFen]

> you need expensive equipment

Basic soldering equipment is quite inexpensive. A basic soldering iron can be had for about the same price as a small breadboard. The good stuff gets pricey, but if you aren't doing a lot of soldering, you don't need the good stuff.

> soldering in an appartment without proper ventilation is quite harmful to your health

If you have a window and aren't soldering frequently, it's not really all that bad.

> young kids should not solder.

Why not? I was taught to solder when I was 8, and I'm very grateful for that.