What am I doing wrong?

Dr_Code · Oct 26, 2012

I live in an apartment. Because of this, obviously, I can't do any sort of refining on site. I do such activities at a buddy's place who has plenty of land.

I do, however, have a garage full of computer stuff in boxes. (I used to own a computer repair shop.)

So far I have taken appart a few boxes worth of parts. I do this over cardboard and newspaper, to keep the little pieces somewhere I can manage them.

I wear eye protection, after I had a little piece shoot way to close to my eyball for comfort. I keep the parts to refine in seperate containers. I also keep the
aluminum, steel, and copper in seprate containers for scrap. I keep the boards in another container to send to cashforelectronicscrapusa - 10 cents/lb is better than nothing for something I don't know how to process. That seems to be what others have gotten for them.

This is just a couple nights a week hobby. Is there anything else I should be considering for the saftey of myself and others arround me?

jimdoc · Oct 26, 2012

You should try http://boardsort.com/payout.php

Jim

Dr_Code · Oct 26, 2012

I'm talking about PC board stripped of most everything but the copper trace.

Dr_Code · Oct 27, 2012

I should clarify. My main concern in this post was about the little wires that end up in the darndest of places while removing flatpacks. I assume that some of them will have lead and lead solder. Even handeling the boards for long periods of time.

The MSDS on lead says:

Potential Acute Health Effects: Slightly hazardous in case of skin contact (irritant), of eye contact (irritant), of ingestion, of
inhalation.
Potential Chronic Health Effects:
Slightly hazardous in case of skin contact (permeator). CARCINOGENIC EFFECTS: Classified A3 (Proven for animal.) by
ACGIH, 2B (Possible for human.) by IARC. MUTAGENIC EFFECTS: Not available. TERATOGENIC EFFECTS: Not available.
DEVELOPMENTAL TOXICITY: Not available. The substance may be toxic to blood, kidneys, central nervous system (CNS).
Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage.

While removing the pinds with dikes or espically with the wood chissle, there's going to be some ammount of small particles of metal and fiber from the PC board spread around the area and air.

Part of me thinks that it's like the lead paint on the walls - just don't eat the paint chips.

Looking for some input.

resabed01 · Oct 27, 2012

Most of the dangers of poisoning when working with lead come from inhalation or ingestion. Skin contact on hands, no so much.
It's important to wash your hands after handling e-scrap and before you do things like eat or smoke where there is a danger of introducing lead into your body.
If this sort of danger really concerns you, you could visit your doctor and explain you are exposed to lead and have a blood test arraigned.
Once you see the results from that test you'll feel much at ease.
I've been working in electronics for over 30 years. Much of that time handling e-scrap and soldering without any consideration given to the lead fumes in solder.
My tests have always come back clean.

Dr_Code · Oct 27, 2012

That was kind of my general thoughts on the matter, ingestion would be the biggest concern.

I used to work at a computer shop for many years and never thought twice about handling new boards. Some of the old ones - I didn't want to know what was inside that computer, but from the excriments inside I could make some pretty good guesses. As I've gotten older and am more acutely aware of my own mortality, I like to know I'm not killing myself off because of something dumb on my part. (yet, I still smoke)

As I typed that, I got to thinking about tin whiskers. Espically in older hardware where they have a chance to grow larger, or in the newer stuff where lead *isn't* used. I did a quick fourm search and didn't find much on them. A google search and didn't find much about the health effects of them - I'm not sure if any have been done. I don't think that for the general public there would be much of a concern. As the whiskers are just sitting there. It would take a special type of person to acumlate enough equipment and then rip it all appart before there would be a significant ammount of them possibly airborne to be problematic.

<rasing a hand as one of them!!!>

I'd think they would be simmilar to asbestos. Not right away, but a cumulative effect based on exposure. (please don't take any of that as fact, I'm just throwing that idea out there.)