Weller zero smog MG100 vs MG130 and filter degradation from shelf life

[salomonander]

Hey there,
im doing some research on these fume extractors, as my small weller wfe does not catch everything.
My biggest question is this:
for some jobs i still have to solder with lead. Do these filters even work for this application, or do they assume we are all 100% lead free and maybe do not even filter the lead aerosols?

Assuming they work for my application, the two models listed are what i can afford. Also the entry model - but i dont like the form factor. Actually i can get the mg100 for the best price. An insane low price, but im a bit scared as the filters are very expensive. Like 550€ as opposed to 230$ for the mg130 filters. Can anyone explain this to me? Is the filter that much bigger? Will it last that much longer? I would not mind paying double if it lasts twice as long.

Weller suggests changing filter each year and states its life cycle at 1500hrs. At my rate of soldering this would last more like 5-6 years. But do these filters degrade by just standing around not being used? I assume the active carbon might loose its effects?

Interested in any feedback. Cheers

Thanks

[NiHaoMike]

If you have an open window to work with, just get a high powered computer fan and a length of ducting.

[salomonander]

Thanks for the easy solution but im afraid no. The room i work in is supplied with fresh air via a dedicated central unit in my recording studio. No windows are open. Otherwise the fresh air supply would not work properly. But thanks for the suggestion!

[tooki]

for some jobs i still have to solder with lead. Do these filters even work for this application, or do they assume we are all 100% lead free and maybe do not even filter the lead aerosols?

What lead aerosols? The concern with solder fumes is the flux fumes (where lead-free is often worse!), not the metals themselves. Electronics soldering doesn't even get close to the temperatures needed for lead (or tin, silver, or copper) to vaporize.

Even the few sources that claim that lead oxide aerosols are produced do not actually have any sources for that claim.

[salomonander]

Please correct me if im wrong. But you are saying that lead solder has no negative effects on health due to the lead? Only due to the flux? My girlfriend is a bio chemist. And this is not here area of expertise - still she assumes that its hazardous. Im also wondering why they would ban lead solder if it would not pose a risk. As i have said. Please correct me if im wrong. Always happy to learn - and not spend a fortune on a extraction system


Edit: i guess you are right! Did some more reading. I will still need a system for the flux aerosols. But at least i dont have to worry about going insane from lead

[tooki]

Please correct me if im wrong. But you are saying that lead solder has no negative effects on health due to the lead? Only due to the flux?

Yeah, basically. Just don't get the solder in your mouth, so don't eat where you solder, and wash your hands (and tools).

Im also wondering why they would ban lead solder if it would not pose a risk.

It was never about worker safety when using lead solder.

They did not ban lead solder. They restricted (to the point of it being a de-facto ban) lead in electronics.

All lead...

At the time when CRTs were the dominant display type for both televisions and computers...

A single CRT contains several kilos of leaded glass. (The leaded glass is used for the neck and funnel, and is about 30% lead!) So a typical CRT contains 1-1.5kg of lead, as well as some other heavy metals (barium and strontium used in the front glass.) The huge amounts of lead introduced into the environment through discarded CRTs -- which made up the majority of e-waste by weight at the time -- are why the EU's RoHS directive essentially banned lead in electronics. The amount of lead in the solder was, frankly, negligible in comparison. But by the time the RoHS directive actually went into effect, CRTs were already being replaced en masse with LCDs and other flat-panel displays, dramatically reducing the amount of lead in the (future) e-waste stream. I personally think that moving away from lead solder was unnecessary and should probably have been exempted, but that ship sailed years ago. (Not that I think lead-free solder is anywhere near as bad as some people make it out to be.)

[salomonander]

Thanks Tooki, i just learned something
What do you guys say in regards to flux in lead solder? I guess i should still get some sort of extraction for that? As i have mentioned earlier - i have no open window. Cheers

Oh, and regarding touching the solder. Are there any smart little gadgets that allow me to handle the solder without directly touching it?

[salomonander]

Yes there is 🤩
https://www.printables.com/model/843353-solder-scroll-ergonomic-adjustable-solder-tool?lang=de

[tooki]

Thanks Tooki, i just learned something
What do you guys say in regards to flux in lead solder? I guess i should still get some sort of extraction for that? As i have mentioned earlier - i have no open window. Cheers

Traditional leaded solder has rosin flux. Rosin fumes are a recognized occupational hazard for people who solder professionally.

With that said, if you just do it every once in a while at home, I wouldn’t worry about it. (I have no fume extraction at home.)

Oh, and regarding touching the solder. Are there any smart little gadgets that allow me to handle the solder without directly touching it?

Gloves? Since you also touch solder when handling the PCB, I don’t see much value in a device just for handling the solder wire.

I don’t bother with gloves for using lead solder, nor do I know anyone else who does. Just wash your hands afterwards, and above all wash your hands before eating or touching your face.